Apr 15 2009
Tea parties and taxes
Around the nation there are tea parties being held today. Not the kind that your grandparents hold, but in recognition of the Boston Tea Party.
These revelers are celebrating a stand that the soon-to-be American’s took - No taxation without representation.
That can mean a lot of things in today’s world. Many would say that minorities are under-represented, or not represented, by their elected officials. Conservatives cry that they are not represented in a liberal world. Liberals cry that they are not represented in a conservative world. Make no mistake - if you don’t vote, and don’t participate in the political process - you cannot say you are not represented. You haven’t tried hard enough to make your voice heard. If you are trying, and you think you still aren’t being heard, you are losing a battle - but that doesn’t mean you are not represented.
Everyone is represented. Children are represented by their parents, and their parents’ votes. Everyone who has a chance to vote is represented. If you didn’t exercise your right to vote - that’s your mistake, but you are still represented. You may not be represented well, but you are represented.
Other people participating in the tea parties are claiming that taxation is unconstitutional. There are a lot of things that are unconstitutional under that logic - welfare, medicare, education funding, college grants, arts grants, etc. None of those items are listed in the Constitution either. So while you may not like paying taxes, you have to do it. Argue about the tax rate, where the money is going, and how it is being spent - but the ship has sailed on whether taxes are constitutional (they are).
Filing taxes is easy. Hop onto the internet and you have a million options. If you have an accountant - they can do it for you. Which is why it stuns me that the Treasury Secretary said it was “too complicated” to file his taxes. Taxes are income statement, combined with a bunch of deductions. If you think taxes are too complicated, don’t claim the deductions, just claim your income. You will owe more money, but at least you will have paid your taxes.
I forgot who said it, but someone once said, “The only things guaranteed in life are death and taxes.” So taxes are due tomorrow. Hopefully death isn’t due then too.
