Spring Derailment

Spring is finally here. The trees are blooming, the grass is growing and everywhere you look the animals are chittering, tweeting and frolicking in the warmth after a cold and crazy winter. I’m glad for the changes. It makes me want to be outside more than ever. It makes me want to hop on my motorcycle and race the sun. It makes me want to be free from the restraints of my life.

            I can’t be the only one who feels this way. Can I? Of course not. However; there is one thing about this physical change in season I don’t like. Doing taxes. Sure, I’ve been doing them for three decades and you’d think by now, what with all the tax increases, salary changes, medical charges and the rest of the rigamarole a person of my age, or any age older than me would have paid enough into the system so that they don’t have to pay anymore.

            Sure, I understand the need for keeping our military paid, our roads fixed, our national treasures secure. I know that freedom isn’t free. But the cost seems to be growing radically in a northward direction. I know I shouldn’t complain. I have rarely ever had to pay more this time of the year. Truth be told, I usually get money back. This happens because I give too much. Which is okay with me. I don’t mind paying my share. It just seems my share is getting larger and larger as the years grow shorter and shorter.

            We, our nation that is, fought a vicious war against a tyrannical government over a two percent tax on a beverage. Yet, two hundred and some odd years later, we are more than happy to pay over fifteen percent of our income to the federal and a somewhat less percentage to our states. Lastly I can’t really see the effects of what we are paying for. I wish I could. But I can’t. Hopefully one day I will.

            I suppose what I’m saying is, I’m confused about the whole process. I mean, I see people who hardly put any money into the system get back more than they put in. I see others who are wealthy get back almost everything and then there are us. The middle class. Paying for so much stuff we barely see enough to pay the water bill. It just seems broken.

            Okay, I’m about done for now. I didn’t want this blog to go this way, so I’m pulling the plug and I’m going to go sit on my porch and enjoy the beautiful weather before the doom and gloom set in again.

            Have a great week.