A few weeks ago, one of my many brothers-in-law posted a thing (that I call a poster, like you would hang on your wall, but I think folks call them memes), on our Facebook family group chat.
It was a rant, complaining about taxes.
Truly nonsense, claiming that taxation is theft, the government is stealing our money.
But it got me started thinking about the whole topic of taxes, and why I truly like taxes.
As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us to check in at, to let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, or other such things that could keep us off Daily Kos. If you're not here, or anywhere else on Daily Kos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, etc.), we are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a PM to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news!
This is our current schedule of regular IAN diary writers:
Monday: Youffraita
Tuesday: bigjacbigjacbigjac
Wednesday: Pam from Calif
Thursday: art ah zen
Friday: FloridaSNMOM
Saturday: FloridaSNDad
Sunday: loggersbrat
The little dog is named Itzl.
Here is what he posted, except it was all caps.
I copied it with my own typing, not all caps.
(I cannot stand all caps.)
The Basic Ways Gov’t Steals Your Money:
- If you earn it, income tax.
- If you live somewhere, property tax.
- If you spend it, sales tax.
- If you save it, inflation tax.
- If you invest it, capital gains tax.
- If you start a business, licenses.
- If you own a good business, profit tax.
- If you give it away, gift tax.
- If you die, inheritance tax.
Seems to me, the government does not actually levy the inflation tax.
It just happens, as a part of the whole system.
So many folks who complain about taxes are Christians.
I am an atheist myself, but I like the Bible.
I like many of the things Jesus said on many topics.
So, what did Jesus say about paying taxes?
biblehub.com/…
Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.
So, here we have Jesus, pointing out that since our currency is marked with the government images and words, it belongs to the government.
That is certainly one way to look at it.
We can also look at the Constitution:
constitution.congress.gov/…
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States;
So, the government collects taxes to provide for the general welfare.
To help us in our pursuit of happiness.
I paid my taxes for about 46 years.
Nowadays, I am collecting my Social Security monthly direct deposit,
my Medicare,
and my Medicaid.
And, even though I do not have a car, when I get a ride from my sister-in-law, I usually buy her a tank full of gasoline.
There is a road repair tax of almost fifty cents per gallon, on gasoline.
The road repair tax is a little over fifty cents a gallon on diesel fuel.
Some of that is levied by the federal government, some by the state.
Have you noticed that they are always repairing some part of the streets and roads and highways, in your hometown?
I know that is true here in Wichita, Kansas.
The street I live on, one whole block, was replaced, all new concrete, sometime early in 2021.
Tonia and I moved in here in August.
After Tonia died, sometime later in 2022, they put down new asphalt on the nearest major street, for about a half mile stretch.
That fifty cents a gallon, that I still pay when I get a ride, that is the money that pays for all those repairs on the streets and roads and highways, all over the USA.
And our tax money pays for the first responders.
Six hours before Tonia died, the two hospice nurses and I dropped Tonia onto the floor.
The nurses called 911, and four firefighters came within three minutes.
All of us working together, and using the Hoyer lift we had handy, got Tonia back in the bed.
(Since we had the Hoyer lift, we could have done it without the firefighters, but it felt so good to have extra help, to make sure we did not drop Tonia again.)
Six hours later, after Tonia died, the main hospice nurse came around, and she called the firefighters again, to help the guy from the funeral home transfer Tonia from her hospital style bed to the funeral home gurney.
(Tonia weighed about 330 pounds.)
The firefighters are paid by the City of Wichita, using tax dollars.
So, to summarize:
- First responders.
- Streets, roads, and highways, always getting repaired.
- Medicaid.
- Medicare.
- Social Security monthly direct deposit.
And my money never did truly belong to me.
None of it belongs to me now.
The money in my credit union accounts belongs to:
- My landlord.
- My utility companies.
- My sister-in-law.
- Dollar General.
- Walmart.
- Life insurance companies.
If there is any money left in my accounts when I die, my in-laws get it.
I cannot take it with me!
Ha!
Well, have a great day, and give each other tender loving care.
And pay your taxes, with a smile!
Ha!
And hugs.