Can I Get My Money Back?

"The taxpayer - that's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination."

-  Ronald Reagan

So, April 15 has passed us by and another Tax Day is in the books. I always do my tax returns early, so the actual tax deadline is really nothing more than a symbolic reminder of all my wasted tax dollars.

                           

Hey, I realize that taxes are needed to keep this country running. I guess you could say that they’re a necessary evil. And actually, with middle class Americans paying 25-28% of their income to the federal government; I would say (surprisingly) that it’s somewhat fair. If that’s what it costs me to live in the greatest country in the world, I’m ok with it.

However, what really upsets me is how our dollars are wasted. Think about it. Are you really any better off than you were a year ago? I would say that we’re much worse off now than last year. So, am I crazy for thinking that I should get a refund for a broken product (the government) that I helped to paid for? After all, if the government was a car, it would have barely made it off of the dealer’s lot before the engine seized up. And you could bet I’d be getting a refund for that!

So what do we do about it? Is it really reasonable to expect the government to suddenly start to acting responsible and spending efficiently? I certainly don’t see that happening. Just look at any program that the government runs (Social Security, Medicare, Cash for Clunkers, etc.). They all eventually lose money! And what is the government’s response? They throw even more money at it!

Defying logic, the government continues to reward mediocrity and under-achievement. If a company like General Motors loses money year after year, Uncle Sam will invest billions of dollars to keep GM’s unsuccessful business practices thriving. At the same time, our favorite Uncle will do everything he can to chastise successful businesses. What’s wrong with this picture? Since when did capitalism and a competitive market place become such a bad thing??

The same thing occurs on an individual level as well. The government will reward the woman who has eight illegitimate love babies and then hike my taxes in order to help pay for them. Excuse me if I say, “I think this is bullshit!” I know people make mistakes, but when it becomes a recurring episode of irresponsibility, it tends to piss me off a little!

I don’t expect anything to change. In fact, I expect to pay even more taxes as we go forward. After all, how many times have we heard about a “temporary“ tax  that, in reality, stays around forever? Now, with the looming VAT (Value Added Tax), get ready to shell out even more money. If there was a way to regulate it, we’d probably be taxed on the air that we breathe…..

KW