Taxes, Taxes...the socialist pinko bastards....

"Nothing is certain but death and taxes".  We've probably all heard that one, right? No matter how hard we try, we can't avoid either one. Although several have said something similar,  Ben Franklin said it around1789.  Franklin is also the fella who said something along the order of "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."  He was warning us, I think, about the encroachment of Government into the freedoms of citizens. It seems like the latter statement rings truer to a lot of people at tax time.  Too bad our so-called "representatives" don't see the truth in it.

I have heard it said that the only honest politician is one who campaigns promising only death and taxes. As far as death and taxes go, the scary thing is, these days it almost feels like the government plans on giving you death if you do not give them taxes.  The penalties for non payment are harsh. Sanctimonious politicians figured out how to force us all to pay for all of their pet projects and get themselves richer (and ourselves poorer) while doing it. They get to decide for us how to spend the money we earn. I suppose we are all sheep in their eyes, incapable of making decisions for ourselves, destined to follow these crooks like shepherds. The sheep that separates itself from the heard is quickly dead (metaphorically speaking). Say too much about politicians and you get audited by the IRS, or whatever the good old boy network can throw at you to knock you down a peg or two and shut you up.  What a shame.

If you haven't filed your taxes yet, my advice is do the best you can, get all the help you can to legally reduce your tax liability, and file your taxes by April 15th. (If you are late, the thieves steal a little extra from you).  By all means, pay a professional if you can afford one, and use a tax software if you can not afford a professional.  I believe the Bible's book of Romans contains the phrase "If you owe taxes, pay taxes" or something similar ("render onto Caesar"?).  Bottom line is, you don't have to like it, but you have to do it, so do your best to pay the thieves as little as you legally can.