Income Taxes and the IRS

I'm in a rather bitter mood (shocker, huh) because I spent my entire Saturday filing my federal and state income taxes. More than being a tedious waste of my time with convoluted formulas and exemptions that make sense to none, the end result is always the same -- send in more money.

I don't get it. I see the commercials on television with people jumping around for glee at their mailboxes at the arrival of the tax refund checks. I see Wall Street executives jumping around for glee at their bailout at my expense. For me, it's tears and sobs as the government extracts yet even more money from me.

We are not off-the-charts wealthy. We claim zero exemptions. We own a modest house. We own cars over 5 years old. We are honest. We are middle class. We are getting screwed.

I can see what I need to do... I need to LIE, CHEAT and STEAL to get anywhere. Being an honest working joe gets you nowhere. As I was driving home after dropping off the tax forms at the mailbox, I began to wonder as to why I am working at all. The government just takes it from me. Those billionaires who are receiving bailouts just take it from me. Those slackers on the public dole just take it from me. The tax dodgers just continue to weave, bob, and duck without paying their fair share. Why work at all? It just doesn't pay.

My mind then went the guy who kamakazied his plane the other day into an IRS building in Texas. Without even knowing the entire story, I can honestly say that I feel his frustration at the "system" and why it completely sucks. Too bad the pilot was the one who died -- we need more people like him to turn things around. He is my 'hero of the day.'