Today’s blog
Lynn Murphy Mark
Pay as you go
Last night we were having dinner with a friend when the subject of personal property taxes came up. Thank God this random topic surfaced because I had tucked away the tax bill for St. Louis County in a safe place and then promptly forgot about it. If my friend hadn’t brought it up I would be four hundred dollars richer than I am at the moment, having gone online and done my civic duty this morning before dawn.
After I paid the bill I read the fine print to see where my money was going. More than half of it went to my local school district, to the Special School district, and to the community college system. I believe in public education, so I gladly donate to its preservation and maintenance. The next biggest chunk goes to Creve Couer’s fire department, another essential service. Taking the time to see where my earnings landed was worth the reminder about the privilege of being a taxpayer and supporting my community.
When I sold my house in New Mexico, various branches of state and federal government collected over 35% of the sale price. The IRS wasted no time in cashing its check. That’s only important if you know that we have been in a tug of war with them over several thousand dollars in dispute for tax year 2017. 2023 will be 4 years since we filed an amended return and asked for some money back. So far we have gotten one rejection and filed one appeal in response. Our tax man is determined to correct the mistake that was made in 2017, but so far his efforts have been in vain.
Now I’m on a roll about taxes. Since I went back into the workforce and collect a paycheck I have no idea what the tax burden will be this year. I followed the tax man’s advice and signed up to have the most amount of money deducted from my checks. Even with that, he advised me that the tax bite might hurt. As I write this, it sounds like I make a big bunch of money. The truth is I live in Lower Middle Class Land. I am not complaining. I know I am blessed to be able to support myself.
So, when the news broke that 45’s tax returns have been released I compared my status as a tax payer with his. It turns out that in 2017 he paid a total of around $750 in Federal taxes. Not $750,000. Or $75,000. $750 was all he shelled out. I’m sure that’s a simplistic figure, given that his taxes are on thousands of pages and they are just now being examined by experts. No wonder he didn’t want to release those documents. His role as a Grifter In Chief will come under intense scrutiny in the near future. As I remember 2017, I paid out more zeroes than 45 did. So did millions of my fellow Americans.
In 2018, “the average American family in the middle 20% of income earners paid $15,748 in taxes to federal, state, and local governments.” (USAFacts.org). 45 spends $70,000 a year on hair styling services. That’s a lot to spend for an ugly comb-over, but, whatever. If you’ve got it, flaunt it.
Income inequality is rampant in these United States. People on the lowest rung are struggling to make it on federal minimum wage earnings. Try buying a gallon of milk when you make $7.25/hour and have children to support. I know some big companies are adjusting their wages upwards and that is a hopeful sign. But the fact that the federal government consistently fails to raise that amount is shameful. According to Newsweek 75% of republicans oppose raising the minimum wage. I just don’t get it. We are among the richest nations on the planet. It’s appalling. Here ends my soapbox rant.