Rant on IRS

I am absolutely dumbfounded by the lack of response I got on this post. May be lot of people out there do not care what happens to their money. Do you know how much taxes you paid last year? Not the refund you got or the check you had to write. How much did you pay as Federal Income tax? I bet you do not know with out looking it up. Everybody knows how much they take home, but do you know how much you make. The federal government is forcing us to pay taxes and we do not have any choice or say in the matter, unless we take action.

I know to most, politics and taxes are boring subjects. And they will like to keep it that way. What happens to the tax you pay out of ever paycheck, every thing you buy, every piece of property you own?

Where do politicians get their power? By manipulating the tax code to serve their constituents. What if you live in a democratic state and the party in power is republican or vice versa? The chances are your area get squat. Is that fair to you after paying your portion of the taxes just like everybody else?

Here is something you probably do not hear much about. Death Tax! Scary huh? Let us say you parents work hard to create a small successful business. When they pass away, as the children of the owner you are entitles you succeed that business is it not? Sure you are. You can keep what ever is left after you pay the death tax. And how much is it? about 55%. Imagine, a two million dollar business will lose half of their assets in taxes. Fair?. What would you do in this situation? Where would you come up with about a million dollars to pay taxes and keep the business? Or would you sell the business so that you can just pay the taxed. What about years of hard work your parents put into the business to make it successful?

Don't think it will not happen to you? Consider this.

AMT or Alternative Minimum Tax. The AMT was created 35 years ago to make sure high income-earners did not take advantage of perfectly legal deductions and credits to avoid the payment of taxes. Trouble is, due to inflation the AMT is now sneaking into middle income tax returns. Today the AMT will hit about 3.5 million Americans. I know if the tax code does not change, in a few years I will end up among the millions of Americans that would pay AMT. If you went to college, have a decent job, and are married, you will most likely end up in the same situation.

Okay. I am done ranting. I doubt this post, just like the previous one will generate any interest. Might be because people feel like if you spoke against the IRS they might come knocking down the door and audit you. Or may be because tax is something they have been paying ever since the first dollar you earned and never thought twice how the people we elected manipulate us, using our money to gain power and assume there is nothing to be done.

Just ponder this. When you cast vote at any election, you are giving the person power to act on your behalf. Do you know if the person you vote for have the same ideals and principles you have? Or do you vote for candidates that belong to the party you are registered assuming they have the same view as you? Before the next election, do you self a favor. Find out who is running and what their positions are. Remember: there is always a disparity between Perception and Reality! Do not trust the media, they will only tell you what generate rating for them. Building bridges and schools does not generate nearly as much rating as IED and kidnapping.

Our tax code is progressive. Meaning, the people who makes more money will pay more taxes, and the people who are poor, do not pay any. In other words, being on welfare and unemployment is encouraged and working hard, wise investing and savings are discouraged. Just look at the facts below.

The individual income tax is highly progressive, a small group of higher-income taxpayers pay most of the individual income taxes each year.

Taxpayers who rank in the top 50 percent of taxpayers by income pay virtually all individual income taxes. In all years since 1990, taxpayers in this group have paid over 90 percent of all individual income taxes. In 2000 and 2001, this group paid over 96 percent of the total.

In 2001, the latest year of available data, the top 5 percent of taxpayers paid more than one-half (53.3 percent) of all individual income taxes, but reported roughly one-third (32.0 percent) of income.

The top 1 percent of taxpayers paid 33.9 percent of all individual income taxes in 2001. This group of taxpayers has paid more than 30 percent of individual income taxes since 1995. Moreover, since 1990 this group's tax share has grown faster than their income share.

Taxpayers who rank in the top 50 percent of taxpayers by income pay virtually all individual income taxes. In all years since 1990, taxpayers in this group have paid over 90 percent of all individual income taxes. In 2000 and 2001, this group paid over 96 percent of the total.

The share of taxes paid by the top 1 percent of taxpayers will rise from 30.5 percent to 32.3 percent.
source: U.S. Treasury, Office of Tax Analysis

If you like to know more about the un-fairness of today's tax code and want to do something about it, check out these websites.
http://www.fairtax.org/, http://www.fairtaxvolunteer.org/,

I love all seasons of the year

. Coming from Kerala, India; where the only two seasons are Rain & No-Rain, I have learned to appreciate the beauty of the ever-changing seasons.

Most people hate winter. It is Cold and barren. Tree are naked, and bird nest are empty. Grass is brown and fragile. How can I like winter you ask?

Winter is certainly unique. There is something about the white snows of winter that heighten one’s sense of hearing. For example, don't you think it is neat to go outside during a snowstorm and hear the soundless falling snow? And haven't you been outside on a cold winter day and heard ice cracking on a tree branch, or the sound of your feet walking, sounds seldom heard during other seasons of the year. The distinctiveness of winter intrigues me. It is foreseeable yet chaotic. Brightness of any sunny day can be vanquished by the brightness of a snow cover landscape.

Mar. 20, 1:26 PM marked the end of Official 2005-2006 winter season. But this year mother nature had a different idea. Most of Indiana was covered with a blanket of snow a day after the “official” end of winter. I guess the memo got lost in the mail.

Oh sparkling snowflakes gentle and white,
Clothing from heaven, so clean and bright.
Your cold winter cover, is beautiful still,
On mountains, in valleys, on my window sill.

Let me reflect the pure driven snow,
In the winter of life, as God's mighty winds blow.
Snow on my old roof top, let His glory abound.
Heavenly flakes elegantly swirling around.
Oh, I hope to be spotless and blemish free,
Beautifully shining your Spirit in me.

In winter house, may I find the warmth of His fire,
A blessing to others, keep the flaming desire.
Like vibrant holly, with it's shiny red berry,
Ignore chilly blasts, spectacular and merry.
My leaf of life, also will not wither and fade.
Nor joy found in praising my Savior each day.

Oh sparkling snowflakes, gentle and white,
Clothing from heaven, so clean and bright.
Your cold winter cover, is beautiful still,
On mountains, in valleys, on my windowsill.
By Nina Phillips (faithwriters.com)

 

This is my very first attempt at any kind of public writing. I guess I will start of by explaining the name “Gentle Jake”. My last name is Jacob; hence, the second part of my name “Jake”. While in college, when I first realized the power of email, I needed come up with a user ID. My friend Quinn adopted the name BitterQ as one of his email ID and I thought, Hey, BitterJake sounds original. Lo and Behold I became bitterjake .. but I am not a bitter person. so it was time to change the name. I know I am the opposite of bitter, but “sweet Jake” sounded kinda, ya know.. yeah.. that.. So I decided to stick with Gentle. In a way, it pretty much explains what I am.