APRIL 15 ***TAX DAY*** Did you pay your fair share?

[+Smokehouse]

I hope all of you paid your taxes today and because you know that you didn't pay your "fair share" I sure hope that when you filled out that check, instead of filling out the amount required from you at gunpoint, that you added a few thousand extra in there for good measure.

 

HAPPY TAX DAY AMERICA.....Hell even Russia has a flat tax.

 

Remember always pay more than required!

 

The KGB

[+VentureForth]

quote:

---

Originally posted by The KGB:

[/b]HAPPY TAX DAY AMERICA.....Hell even Russia has a flat tax.[/b]

---

 

Well, yes, 100% of everything is pretty flat.

 

If you need materials for your taxes, go find this one, and QUICK! Time is running out!

 

---------------

Go! And don't be afraid to get a little wet!

[+VentureForth]

quote:

---

Originally posted by The KGB:

[/b]HAPPY TAX DAY AMERICA.....Hell even Russia has a flat tax.[/b]

---

 

Well, yes, 100% of everything is pretty flat.

 

If you need materials for your taxes, go find this one, and QUICK! Time is running out!

 

---------------

Go! And don't be afraid to get a little wet!

[Tahosa and Sons]

Next time you turn on your GPS just remember where the funds come from that run those little wizards in the sky.

Taxes are the necessary evil of this free country.

And for the record I haven't paid any taxes in over 20 years, one of the unsung benefits of kids.

 

The "Bushwhacker"

>>--->O

[Tahosa and Sons]

Next time you turn on your GPS just remember where the funds come from that run those little wizards in the sky.

Taxes are the necessary evil of this free country.

And for the record I haven't paid any taxes in over 20 years, one of the unsung benefits of kids.

 

The "Bushwhacker"

>>--->O

[+Hawk-eye]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bushwhacker:

......And for the record I haven't paid any taxes in over 20 years, one of the unsung benefits of kids....

---

 

I'VE GOT KIDS, a wife and a beagle who thinks he's a kid ... but I still have to pay taxes ... a lot of them ... so what's your secret?

 

[+VentureForth]

No income tax is pretty good. Whatabout sales tax? Property tax (included in rent if you do so)? Vehicle Registrations?

 

We all pay a L O T more taxes than we need to be paying. Yes, it's a necessary evil, but this country ran fine and beat out invaders without an income tax until the last 100 years.

 

I understand that the income tax we have grown to know and love is only temporary anyway...

 

---------------

Go! And don't be afraid to get a little wet!

[+GoldKey]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hawk-eye:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bushwhacker:

......And for the record I haven't paid any taxes in over 20 years, one of the unsung benefits of kids....

---

 

I'VE GOT KIDS, a wife and a beagle who thinks he's a kid ... but I still have to pay taxes ... a lot of them ... so what's your secret?

 

http://img.Groundspeak.com/cache/348_2702.gif

---

 

Unless you got back 100% of what you had withheld, then you are paying taxes. Most people equate getting a refund as being a good thing. But if you think about it if you get a refund, you just gave the govt an interest free loan for the entire year. If you owe money, it is like the govt gave you an interest free loan for the year.

[+mrcpu]

Heck in Canada regular people don't have to get their taxes in until the end of this month. People who do contract work and are self employed get even longer.

 

Rob

Mobile Cache Command

[+Zephyrus]

quote:

---

Originally posted by The KGB:

 

Remember always pay more than required!

---

SCAM ALERT! - READ IMMEDIATELY!

 

WARNING:

 

If you get an envelope from a company called the "Internal Revenue Service," or "IRS,"

DO NOT OPEN IT! This group operates a scam around this time every year.

Their letter claims that you owe them money, which they will take and use to pay for

he operation of essential functions of the United States government.

This is untrue! The money the IRS collects is used to fund various inefficient and

pointless social engineering projects.

This organization has ties to another shady outfit called the Social Security Administration,

who claim to take money from your regular paychecks and save it for your retirement. In truth,

the SSA uses the money to pay for the same misguided make-work projects the IRS helps mastermind.

These scam artists have bilked honest, hard working Americans out of hundreds of billions of dollars.

Don't fall for this scam!

 

FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

 

[+Zephyrus]

quote:

---

Originally posted by The KGB:

 

Remember always pay more than required!

---

SCAM ALERT! - READ IMMEDIATELY!

 

WARNING:

 

If you get an envelope from a company called the "Internal Revenue Service," or "IRS,"

DO NOT OPEN IT! This group operates a scam around this time every year.

Their letter claims that you owe them money, which they will take and use to pay for

he operation of essential functions of the United States government.

This is untrue! The money the IRS collects is used to fund various inefficient and

pointless social engineering projects.

This organization has ties to another shady outfit called the Social Security Administration,

who claim to take money from your regular paychecks and save it for your retirement. In truth,

the SSA uses the money to pay for the same misguided make-work projects the IRS helps mastermind.

These scam artists have bilked honest, hard working Americans out of hundreds of billions of dollars.

Don't fall for this scam!

 

FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

 

[+Jamie Z]

Z,

 

A good point, but I will not be forwarding that to everyone I know. SPAM sucks worse than sending some phony IRS a couple of bucks.

 

I will say that I had a pleasant surprise when I calculated my taxes this year. I had become worried that since my schooling is not related to my job in any way, I would be out of luck regarding any school-related deductions. Upon further research, I found that the G'ment has in place an education credit.

 

I hope I don't anger anyone when I say that the federal income tax I paid is a very tiny fraction of the income I made this year (which, admittedly, is about half of what I made before school.).

 

Basically, the government gave me back a good chunk of the money I spent on tuition.

 

That makes me feel good.

 

Jamie

[wondergirl]

All I know is that it doesn't pay to be married, childless, and without real estate!

 

wondergirl

[+Prime Suspect]

quote:

---

Originally posted by VentureForth:

 

If you need materials for your taxes, go find http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=18709 one, and QUICK! Time is running out!

---

You beat me to it! Oddly enough, no one (yet) has logged it today (April 15th), though it did get a few hits over the weekend. I wonder if any of those calculators are left? I know someone already grabbed the Excedrin.

 

[+Prime Suspect]

quote:

---

Originally posted by VentureForth:

 

If you need materials for your taxes, go find http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=18709 one, and QUICK! Time is running out!

---

You beat me to it! Oddly enough, no one (yet) has logged it today (April 15th), though it did get a few hits over the weekend. I wonder if any of those calculators are left? I know someone already grabbed the Excedrin.

 

[+Renegade Knight]

The older I get the more I learn that everyone needs to pay their fair share (and we need to let our congress know we are watching). I get even more annoyed at tax protesters who refuse to file. The jerks cost me money, worse I probably will pay for their retirment and their kids welfare. MY retirement plans is pretty simple. Work till I die. If the jerks helped out, I might get to enjoy a year off before I die.

[+Smokehouse]

Well it wasnt that long ago that there were no income taxes, it was all duties and tariffs. Why not go with a natinal sales tax, that is a truly voluntary tax, if you dont spend you dont pay. I personally don't like the term "fair share". Who did we elect the fairness police. The more taxes you pay, the less in benefits you get. I don't want anything from the government. Yes I understand that there are things that the government needs to do, and thats fine. There is also a lot of stuff that the government shouldnt be involved in whatsoever. The Constitution was pretty clear, they even had to amend the Constitution to make income taxes legal. I am willing to bet that a national sales tax or a flat tax with no deductions would end up increasing the revenue, lower taxes tend to do that. That way the politicians could have more moeny to blow of putting thier names on bridges and roads.

 

The KGB

[+Desert_Warrior]

After 20+ years in the army, one of you is paying my mortgage every month. I sure do appreciate it.

 

Mike-KD9KC

[+mdshamilton]

Bushwhacker - don't forget what those "little wizards in the sky" were originally placed there for: Accurate targetting of ICBMs which would be fired from your "free country" to kill people in other countries.

 

 

Mark, Matthew & Christopher

We'll get there eventually....

[+mdshamilton]

Bushwhacker - don't forget what those "little wizards in the sky" were originally placed there for: Accurate targetting of ICBMs which would be fired from your "free country" to kill people in other countries.

 

 

Mark, Matthew & Christopher

We'll get there eventually....

[Buckaroo Banzai]

quote:

---

Free Country?

 

Bushwhacker - don't forget what those "little wizards in the sky" were originally placed there for: Accurate targetting of ICBMs which would be fired from your "free country" to kill people in other countries.

---

 

The little wizards placement have very little to do with land based ICBMs, since once the bird is programed with it's targeting information and a firing solution is calculated, location data for the lanch point and target is no longer needed, Since neither move. Once launched, the internal guidence system does the flying.

 

On FBM Submarines, the boat's SINS (ships internal navagation system) provided the local position and is checked for errors by a sat updated. Same deal with the targeting, before the boat sets sail, all launch points to target information is calculated. Launch points are established in the areas that the boat will be patroling while on alert (the rest is classified). Sats are used only to insure that SINS is correct. Its been that way since the early 1960s.

 

What is guiding the UK's fleet of Polaris FBMs?

 

BTW, there has never been a launch of an ICBM which resulted in killing people in other countries.

 

MAD was the only thing that kept the USSR out of Western Europe and in turn keeping your country free as well. You do think that the UK is a free country?

 

Now if your talking ground troops or smart bombs. They do use those "little wizards in the sky" and do keep US and the UK free. God Bless them!

 

 

BB

 

If it's not one thing, then it's another...

 

[This message was edited by Buckaroo Banzai on April 16, 2002 at 11:05 AM.]

 

[This message was edited by Buckaroo Banzai on April 16, 2002 at 11:05 AM.]

[+Smokehouse]

Buckaroo Banzai Very nice post, very well thought out. It is interesting to see how folks in the UK look at us, and espically those that are too young to remember/understand any of that history.

 

The KGB

[+RAD Dad]

Oh, and by the way, that Flat Tax Russia has, great idea, it is fairly low, and since they implemented it (it was a huge tax break for many Russians by the way, especially the wealthy) thier tax revenues actually went UP. Imagine that, tax revenues going up from a tax cut? Happens here too, every time there has been a major tax rate cut, tax revenues go up. Why? Because those who have lots of money quit sheltering it, start spending and investing it, and it generates more money in the system which results in more tax revenue generated. High taxes only result in less spending in the private sector.

 

Government doesn't create wealth, it eats it alive, you will never be able to tax a people to create oportunity or prosperity for the less fortunate, if you want to create more prosperity and oportunity for all, free up the pockets of the wealthy by making it worth thier while to take risks and invest capital in business' which in turn will generate more jobs, which in turn will create more properity for all.

 

ummmm....not sure what to say here....so ummm, well errrr, uhhhh, well I guess that's it.

[+Jamie Z]

Mmmm... Reaganomics.

 

Jamie

[+Jamie Z]

Mmmm... Reaganomics.

 

Jamie

[+infosponge]

Taxes are a necessary evil. Being sodomized by the government while large corporations don't pay a dime in taxes isn't they way things should work though.

I guess if I had enough money to buy off congressmen and presidents I could avoid paying taxes too...

 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bushwhacker:

Taxes are the necessary evil of this free country.

...

---

[+infosponge]

Taxes are a necessary evil. Being sodomized by the government while large corporations don't pay a dime in taxes isn't they way things should work though.

I guess if I had enough money to buy off congressmen and presidents I could avoid paying taxes too...

 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bushwhacker:

Taxes are the necessary evil of this free country.

...

---

[+RAD Dad]

NO corperation EVER pays taxes, we the consumer do. Now, if you like the idea of some large corperations moving jobs AWAY from the U.S. because the tax burdon is too high and passing it on to the consumer would make thier product unaffordable thus shutting them down, well then fine, tax big corperations all you want. Kill jobs, which create income, which by the way IS taxed, so YES those big corperations do pay taxes, via thier employees, often in the millions and billions of dollars.

 

Why do we want to make it harder for corperations and other business' to continue to provide jobs by adding to already higher operating costs, compared to taking the jobs over seas, with higher taxes?

 

Those companies who get "corperate welfare" do so as an insentive to keep the jobs they create in the United States, rather than going to cheaper job markets in foreign countries.

 

I would like to see more trade tax relief for more high tech business' in my area, as Oregon is suffering hard from this recession, and has seen many business' forced out in the last couple years. Make the area more appealing to high paying employers and SHAZAM! You have lot's more high paying employers setting up shop in your area, creating more jobs, better standards of living, and even if you don't tax the business itself one thin dime, you will see a dramatic increase in over all tax revenues. Works every time it's tried, but for some reason, greed takes over legislators minds, they think they can get away with raising taxes on the bussiness' again after a while and next thing you know, companies are moving out again....then of course tax revenues go down, unemployment heads back up, many folks even move out with the companies, and then the cycle of offering tax breaks to bring new business' starts up again. Why they don't just keep the area business friendly I don't know...guess everyone hopes they can rape the big business' and get away with it every time...of course they rarely do.

 

Corperations fund retirements via stock returns, corperations create jobs, corperations are the bread and butter, and taxing them into other countries is only counterproductive, it looks good to those who are full of class envy and anti-capitalistic, and it wins points with the liberals, but in the end, it is not good for the country, and really doesn't make the government more money.

 

Everytime corperate taxes go up, just remember, it is the average consumer who will be paying that tax increase, not the corperation. All business' pass the costs of taxes on to the consumer, so taxing business is just another way to tax John Q Public, it's just more sneaky, and can actually make some of John Q Public feel good about paying more taxes, because they foolishly think those high taxes are sticking it to the rich....kind of like an idiot who holds a gun backwards and fires it at his enemy...he thought the had the other guy in the sights, but the barrel was actually aimed at himself. BANG.

 

ummmm....not sure what to say here....so ummm, well errrr, uhhhh, well I guess that's it.

 

[This message was edited by RAD Dad on April 16, 2002 at 06:35 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by RAD Dad on April 16, 2002 at 06:38 PM.]

[+mdshamilton]

Actually KGB, I have a Bachelors in Economics, a minor in History and a second minor in Political Science. I've also lived on 4 continents in my 37 years - please don't jump to conclusions about people you know little about. (I was born in the US to British parents - so I'm a dual national)

 

The point I was making was that although we have a great time with those GPS satellites - they were not originally placed there for altruistic, peaceful means. ICBMs have not been used (though they were targeting civilian populations), however Cruise missiles have been used (don't they use GPS?) MAD may have been an acceptable policy in the 50s, 60s and 70s - but most Europeans were frightened by Reagan's war drum banging and evil empire shouting in the 80s when Russia was obviously in dire economic and political straights already. Europe was on the front line - and would be the first to be wiped out by nukes.

 

As to the view of a country being "free" - what exactly is the definition you're subscribing to? The freedom of America to prop up corrupt governments in Central & South America, or to place Saddam on the 'throne' in Iraq? America has done some wonderful things in the world and helped prevent a great many people from losing their lives needlessly. The era of America always being right and espousing a modern day version of the Monroe doctrine is long over, the world is a much smaller place and the issues are more complex than the old Communism versus Capitalism conflict. (Britain has a lot to answer for as well in her history)

 

I'm not trying to begin a flaming war here at all, please take what I write at face value - or ignore it.

 

Regards,

 

Mark

 

Mark, Matthew & Christopher

We'll get there eventually....

[+mdshamilton]

Actually KGB, I have a Bachelors in Economics, a minor in History and a second minor in Political Science. I've also lived on 4 continents in my 37 years - please don't jump to conclusions about people you know little about. (I was born in the US to British parents - so I'm a dual national)

 

The point I was making was that although we have a great time with those GPS satellites - they were not originally placed there for altruistic, peaceful means. ICBMs have not been used (though they were targeting civilian populations), however Cruise missiles have been used (don't they use GPS?) MAD may have been an acceptable policy in the 50s, 60s and 70s - but most Europeans were frightened by Reagan's war drum banging and evil empire shouting in the 80s when Russia was obviously in dire economic and political straights already. Europe was on the front line - and would be the first to be wiped out by nukes.

 

As to the view of a country being "free" - what exactly is the definition you're subscribing to? The freedom of America to prop up corrupt governments in Central & South America, or to place Saddam on the 'throne' in Iraq? America has done some wonderful things in the world and helped prevent a great many people from losing their lives needlessly. The era of America always being right and espousing a modern day version of the Monroe doctrine is long over, the world is a much smaller place and the issues are more complex than the old Communism versus Capitalism conflict. (Britain has a lot to answer for as well in her history)

 

I'm not trying to begin a flaming war here at all, please take what I write at face value - or ignore it.

 

Regards,

 

Mark

 

Mark, Matthew & Christopher

We'll get there eventually....

[BassoonPilot]

Don't you love it when individuals from countries that freeload off of US ingenuity, systems and technologies tell us how "bad" we are?

 

I don't get it. The thread pertaining to the misuse of copyrighted materials, which related directly to geocaching, was quickly closed and locked, and yet this thread continues.

 

[This message was edited by BassoonPilot on April 17, 2002 at 06:32 AM.]

[BassoonPilot]

Don't you love it when individuals from countries that freeload off of US ingenuity, systems and technologies tell us how "bad" we are?

 

I don't get it. The thread pertaining to the misuse of copyrighted materials, which related directly to geocaching, was quickly closed and locked, and yet this thread continues.

 

[This message was edited by BassoonPilot on April 17, 2002 at 06:32 AM.]

[+CharlieP]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Renegade Knight:

The older I get the more I learn that everyone needs to pay their fair share

---

 

Well, as my father told me, and I tell my sons, life is not fair. I sincerely believe that if for one year, every working person in this country was self-employed and had to file estimated taxes and write checks for the full amount of their tax liability, Washington D.C. would be in ashes on April 16. Doing away with with-holding would have the same effect, i.e. showing the American taxpayer what he/she really pays.

 

I am self employed, and here in late April I am already into the 27.5% Federal tax bracket, also pay 15.3% Social Security and Medical tax, and 6% state tax ... that adds up to 48.8% ... but it not quite that bad, with offsetting deductions it is actually only about 46%. That means that for every dollar I now earn, income taxes takes 46 cents. Is that fair?

 

Well, I can tell you one thing for sure, it does not inspire me to work any harder! That means more time for Geocaching (after I finish the three day ordeal of preparing my tax filings).

 

And if you are one of those liberal tax freaks who thinks that high tax rates only apply to the rich, the above example (46% marginal rate) would apply to annual taxable income in excess of about $27,000 per year. Does $27,000 per year make you rich?

 

FWIW,

CharlieP

[+Smokehouse]

Well actually Mark I wasn't commenting on you or your parents. You comment that Europe was "frightened by Reagan's war drum banging and evil empire shouting in the 80s" Exactly what war did he start and what happened to the Soviet Union, by the way most Europeans are frightned by most things, so that's really nothing special.

 

"ICBMs have not been used (though they were targeting civilian populations)"

---With a missile that big, how exactly are you wanting to keep from killing civilians, and if you are in a war, that is going to happen. You're a history major right, when in history has a civilian not died in a war?

 

"the world is a much smaller place and the issues are more complex than the old Communism versus Capitalism conflict"

--I am sure that if you checked your history books, the idea that the world is much more complex and smaller than ever has been felt by every generation since time began. It is certaintly not a new feeling. I am sure at some point a telephone was pretty darn confusing to someone, so the feeling of complexity is only relative to your place in history.

 

"The era of America always being right and espousing a modern day version of the Monroe doctrine is long over"

--If memory serves the Monroe doctrine was to keep europe out of our hemisphere and that the US would be the protector on our side of the ocean, I am not sure what a modern day version of that would be, but let me ask you this. Why is it that this country is always looked to for leadership. Why is it that Tony Blair isn't over in the Middle East trying to get some sort of peace agreement. Everytime something happens in this world, America is exected to jump in and help out. If there is an earthquake, we send money and folks to dig through their rubble. If a country asks us for help, we generally fall all over ourselves trying to lend a hand. When europe tred to appease a mass murderer because she was afraid of getting a little dirty, it was America that was called on to help out and we did. Sacrificing hundreds of thousands if not millions of our people for our allies. We would have kept Hitler from our shores. We could have just stayed over here ringing our hands aand apologizing for what evil people we are, but instead we got into the fight and turned the tide of another war in that hemisphere.

So no I wasn't writing anyone off, it gets my back up when people complain about our evil country. I understand that this country is the only superpower and I understand that other nations around the world are probably mightliy upset by this. I would be too, if my nation were a thousand years old and still hadn't amounted to much. I don't apologize for my country, I am proud to be an American. Do we always get it right, no, but who does, we do get involved in the world though and since we have, there hasn't been another World War in Europe.

I will sned you my credentials if you need them, I just don't think that they are relevant.

I'm not trying to begin a flaming war here at all, please take what I write at face value - or ignore it.

 

Regards,

TheKGB

 

The KGB

[+mdshamilton]

Unfortunately America, indirectly has caused some of the problems in the Middle East. The British Foreign minister did visit Israel a few months ago. Regrettably Israel will only listen to the USA as the American taxpayers bankroll Israel to the tune of USD 3 billion per annum. If Colin Powell could find the courage to (at least temorarily) withdraw that funding from Israel, the tanks would disappear from the occupied territories the following day - Israel might evacuate the settlements in the West Bank and Gaza and then perhaps the Palestinians will focus on building a country rather than killing civilians. It's a messy situation in anyone's view.

 

So, in short America is often looked to as it is the wealthiest country in the world - and often has other, less apparent involvement in local politics. That doesn't make America any better or worse than any other "free" country - just more powerful.

 

IMHO

 

Mark, Matthew & Christopher

We'll get there eventually....

[+mdshamilton]

Unfortunately America, indirectly has caused some of the problems in the Middle East. The British Foreign minister did visit Israel a few months ago. Regrettably Israel will only listen to the USA as the American taxpayers bankroll Israel to the tune of USD 3 billion per annum. If Colin Powell could find the courage to (at least temorarily) withdraw that funding from Israel, the tanks would disappear from the occupied territories the following day - Israel might evacuate the settlements in the West Bank and Gaza and then perhaps the Palestinians will focus on building a country rather than killing civilians. It's a messy situation in anyone's view.

 

So, in short America is often looked to as it is the wealthiest country in the world - and often has other, less apparent involvement in local politics. That doesn't make America any better or worse than any other "free" country - just more powerful.

 

IMHO

 

Mark, Matthew & Christopher

We'll get there eventually....

[Jeremy]

Although I do appreciate the discussion, this is wayyy off topic. Closing this topic.

 

Jeremy

 

Jeremy Irish

Groundspeak - The Language of Location