|
|
Latest Column:
Stopping
the Meltdown
What Beltway Republicans Need To Do
..........
CaliforniaRepublic.org
opinon in
Reagan country
..........
..........
Jon
Fleischman’s
FlashReport
The premier source for
California political news
..........
Michael
Ramirez
editorial cartoon
@Investor's
Business
Daily
..........
Do
your part to do right by our troops.
They did the right thing for you.
Donate Today
..........
 ..........
..........
tOR Talk Radio
Contributor Sites
Laura
Ingraham
Hugh
Hewitt
Eric
Hogue
Sharon
Hughes
Frank
Pastore
[Radio Home]
..........
|
|
Contributors
Sharon
Hughes- Contributor
A researcher,
writer and public speaker Sharon is the President and Executive
Director of The Center for Changing Worldviews, a non-profit
corporation founded for the purpose of increasing the conservative,
pro-family voice in a predominantly liberal society. Sharon
produces and hosts Changing Worldviews TALK Radio which is
the media outreach of The Center, and is heard Monday, Wednesday
and Friday on KDIA AM1640 San Francisco/Vallejo and online
daily at Oneplace.com. Sharon has worked to promote civic
responsibility on the grassroots level since 1992 through
various organizations such as Eagle Forum, so that America
will continue to be a land of liberty, respect for human
dignity and family integrity, as well as public and private
virtue. For further information on Sharon and The Center
go to www.changingworldviews.com or
contact her at sharon@changingworldviews.com. Hughes
Blog [go
to Hughes index]
 April
17th - Tax Freedom Day?
107 days working for the government…
[Sharon Hughes] 4/18/05
April 15th,
the day and deadline we love to hate. As many of us painfully
went through the grueling process of
either filing
ourselves, or collecting every folder and receipt to give to
our accountants, not one of us, I am certain, did so gleefully.
No, rather, the effort was more of an "ugh"! Some of
us own our own businesses, or non-profit corporations adding
to the labor.
Then the day when the task of putting our 'John Henry' on the
bottom line arrives, there may be a sigh of relief that no more
taxes are due, or perhaps a short-lived excitement that we may
get some money back. But for some there is the added step of
signing a check to pay even more taxes due. No matter which it
is, the bottom line? ... We are paying too much in taxes. The
average total is now 40%+ of our earnings, when you include sales
tax, property tax, et al.
With all
the talk about Tom DeLay paying family members for campaign
work still in the headlines, the Tax Foundation
reported
that the average taxpayer will have to work two days longer this
year than last year to reach "Tax Freedom Day". April
17th marks the end of 70 days Americans will work to pay for
federal taxes and 37 more days for state and local taxes. That's
107 days, almost one-third of the year working to pay for taxes!
Let's hear it, all in unison...UGHHHHH!
Even with all the tax cuts that the Bush administration has
passed, Americans will still spend more on taxes than on food,
clothing and medical care combined.
As reported in the Sacramento
Bee on April 15th, President Bush
reported adjusted gross income of $784,219 for 2004, of which
$400,000 was from his presidential salary and the balance from
trusts that hold his and the First Lady's assets. They paid $207,307
in federal taxes, and gave $77,785 of their income to churches
and charitable organizations, which is about 10%. Their contributions
went to Evergreen Chapel at Camp David, Md., St. John's Church
in Washington, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army World
Service Office, AmeriCares, an international relief organization,
and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. They also had
$22,158 in state property taxes for their ranch in Crawford,
Texas.
President
Bush spoke on Tax Day promoting the need to have the tax cuts
passed during his administration
made permanent. And
if Congress allows these tax cuts to expire, he said, "your
taxes are going to go up." He also spoke about how tax relief
helps small businesses, and the need to simplify the tax code,
which eight out of ten Americans favor.
April 17th, 107 days, 3-1/2 months working for taxes. Is it
really Tax Freedom Day? Should I even get into all the 'pork'
our tax dollars are spent on? No, not today. We need a little
relief...a little comfort. Speaking of which I think I'm going
to go make a cup of hot chocolate. Oh no, out of soy milk. Where's
my candy bar? tOR
© Sharon
Hughes 2005 - Used with permission
§
|
|
|
