It being "Memorial Day," I spent the day the way any red-blooded American would... teaching the kids how to shoot in the basement, and having a Samuel Adams. Yes, Samuel Adams. Brewer. Patriot. Leader of political dissent and revolution against tryanny and excessive taxation. Today I think he'd be viewed as very unAmerican... just shut up, pledge to the flag, and pay your taxes, whatsoever they ask you to pay. Yes, I had a Sam Adams, and thought about how America has pretty much become everything that those we call "Patriots" once fought against. Let me know when the next Tea Party is scheduled, cuz I'm there, dude.
The other day we got in the mail a notice from a collection agency saying that we failed to pay our local "Occupational Tax" (that's the tax that is levied on me so that I can enjoy the wonderful privelege of working in that swinging metropolis called Lebanon). Since we "failed" to pay, the notice also informs us that various charges are added to punish us and to pay for the process of having to mail us this notice. Now, this happens to be a payment that we in fact did pay, for wrath's sake. So, I got to wondering... just how many of these "failure to pay" notices are routinely sent out, in an effort to get whatever percentage of people to think, "hmm... I thought I paid it, but hey, I guess I'm wrong... here you go Caesar, whatever you say!"? Another guy that works with me in the office, who also paid his taxes, also received a failure to pay notice. Well, I have no proof of a conspiracy, but lack of proof never stopped a good conspiracy! The way I figure, it boils down to this: Either they are flat out lying in an attempt to get me to pay double my taxes (nay, TRIPLE with the fees and charges added), or, they actually lost (or otherwise are unable to account for) my money. Either way they demonstrate that they are irresponsible with my money and are thus unable to manage it. I'm not paying the tax twice, and I'm not paying the fees and charges. In fact, GIVE ME BACK MY MONEY, and let's call it even.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those "let's get back to the faith of our founding fathers" guys. I think there are problems with how this Nation was founded, and problems with the Constitution (particularly it's polytheistic defense of pretended liberty of conscience), but I do believe that many of the things for which those Patriots died, things protected in the Bill of Rights, are worth fighting for, which things the current system of government sometimes seems to be fighting against. What would those old Patriots do with the government we have today?
Anyway, enjoy that Sam Adams, everybody!
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