The title of this post raises a question that I've actually been asked a number of times. It's very easy and Erical for me to say, "Because." and leave it at that. However, to be fair, I'll go ahead and try to give you a good answer if you've been wondering the same thing. If you aren't one of the ones who spends time and brain power on this, then you're dismissed to go out and get some coffee or a Coke. Your choice.
With the tenth blogiversary of Eric's Planet coming up sometime this fall, I'm likely to write more posts about the whos, whats, whys, hows, wherefores, art thous, and anything regarding why I spend so much time doing this. If you can believe it, a few people have actually told me that they think I should find other things to do. Well, I'm a pretty calm person for the most part, but if I let my feelings about that attitude come out, there could be bloodshed. And they WON'T like it.
I'm not going to jump into this just yet because I just came up with the idea, and I need time to let it mull over in my head. Oftentimes after a good night's sleep, my head is so full of ideas that I didn't have when I turned off the lights. That's a good thing for the most part.
Stay tuned here in the coming weeks and you'll learn why I've devoted all this time to writing—and LOVIN' it—when I used to dread writing way back in my school days.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
It's tax time again!
As I write this, it's April 9. Our tax returns are due to be filed in only six days and mine still aren't done. I'll be fair and say that it's all on me because I didn't hustle to get things together. I say it every year, and still run around at the last minute throwing stuff into an envelope that I will take to our tax man and let him sort it out. Annual traditions die hard. But I'm sure that I'm not the only one who goes through this.
With my falls and the batteration of my body over the last year or so, somehow my brain has managed to remain intact. It works, and fairly well for the most part. That means that reasonable thinking still comes easy for me. What does that have to do with taxes? It means that I can brainstorm about ways to make everyone's annual tax adventures easier.
I laugh about how the first quarter of the 21st Century is almost behind us. In six years, anyway. And in order to collect our taxes, we're still having to collect and hold on to little slips of paper from our bank, our employer, our mortgage lender and so on. We've seen it on TV and in movies—that big shoebox full of receipts and 1099 forms and lions and tigers and bears and who knows what else. Whatever happened to that so-called "paperless society" that was promised when computers came into our lives? For a paperless society, we sure have a lot of paper all over the place.
More and more, I read about how the government always seems to be short on money, so *POOF* a new tax is created. Some figment of their imagination seems to reason that if they throw a tax at something, not only will they rake in the bucks, but if that "thing" is something bad (like the dreaded soda), maybe people will think twice about using that product. I call that "illogic." Can you really imagine people suddenly giving up soda? Sure! Just like how they gave up smoking cigarettes, right? Nope. Not. Gonna. Happen.
Now, I know not everyone will agree with me, but as far as tax collecting goes, I've always liked the idea of a national sales tax. EGADS...HE'S A LIBERAL!!1! No, actually middle-of-the-road with a lean to the right. OK, yes, we would pay more tax whenever we purchase something. But under my plan, this would be in lieu of having so much taken out of our paychecks. And it would be pay-as-you-go. If this tax brings in enough revenue, then maybe we could put the Annual Save Receipts and Other Miscellaneous Slips of Paper™ nonsense out of everyone's misery. And who knows? Y'think that maybe Congress or the Infernal Revenue Service might rethink collecting income tax? Mmm...no, probably not, but it's fun to dream a little bit.
Will people oppose the national sales tax idea? Of course. No one likes to pay tax, and having to pay even more on top of sales tax would really punch 'em in the face. And yet they want all the nice things that tax money pays for: highways and public transit and schools and so forth. Many people say that the wealthy should pay for those nice things. What many people don't understand is that many wealthy folks already pay a hefty amount of tax, and many of those same people donate a healthy amount to charities or set up foundations to help those who are less fortunate. The "make the rich pay for everything" mentality doesn't fly with me. No, I'm not rich. Only trying to look at things with some sense of fairness.
So there you go. My thoughts about taxes in more or less a nutshell. I don't like to pay taxes, but it's a necessary part of being a responsible citizen of any state or country.
With my falls and the batteration of my body over the last year or so, somehow my brain has managed to remain intact. It works, and fairly well for the most part. That means that reasonable thinking still comes easy for me. What does that have to do with taxes? It means that I can brainstorm about ways to make everyone's annual tax adventures easier.
I laugh about how the first quarter of the 21st Century is almost behind us. In six years, anyway. And in order to collect our taxes, we're still having to collect and hold on to little slips of paper from our bank, our employer, our mortgage lender and so on. We've seen it on TV and in movies—that big shoebox full of receipts and 1099 forms and lions and tigers and bears and who knows what else. Whatever happened to that so-called "paperless society" that was promised when computers came into our lives? For a paperless society, we sure have a lot of paper all over the place.
More and more, I read about how the government always seems to be short on money, so *POOF* a new tax is created. Some figment of their imagination seems to reason that if they throw a tax at something, not only will they rake in the bucks, but if that "thing" is something bad (like the dreaded soda), maybe people will think twice about using that product. I call that "illogic." Can you really imagine people suddenly giving up soda? Sure! Just like how they gave up smoking cigarettes, right? Nope. Not. Gonna. Happen.
Now, I know not everyone will agree with me, but as far as tax collecting goes, I've always liked the idea of a national sales tax. EGADS...HE'S A LIBERAL!!1! No, actually middle-of-the-road with a lean to the right. OK, yes, we would pay more tax whenever we purchase something. But under my plan, this would be in lieu of having so much taken out of our paychecks. And it would be pay-as-you-go. If this tax brings in enough revenue, then maybe we could put the Annual Save Receipts and Other Miscellaneous Slips of Paper™ nonsense out of everyone's misery. And who knows? Y'think that maybe Congress or the Infernal Revenue Service might rethink collecting income tax? Mmm...no, probably not, but it's fun to dream a little bit.
Will people oppose the national sales tax idea? Of course. No one likes to pay tax, and having to pay even more on top of sales tax would really punch 'em in the face. And yet they want all the nice things that tax money pays for: highways and public transit and schools and so forth. Many people say that the wealthy should pay for those nice things. What many people don't understand is that many wealthy folks already pay a hefty amount of tax, and many of those same people donate a healthy amount to charities or set up foundations to help those who are less fortunate. The "make the rich pay for everything" mentality doesn't fly with me. No, I'm not rich. Only trying to look at things with some sense of fairness.
So there you go. My thoughts about taxes in more or less a nutshell. I don't like to pay taxes, but it's a necessary part of being a responsible citizen of any state or country.
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