In the interest of everything at stake this year, I'm going to be extremely honest.
How much did most of you pay in taxes last year? How much did you get back?
Bush's tax cuts favor two groups: The Haves and the Have Mores. Eddie & I have, according to U.S. labor statistics, worked our way up to the former group.
In 2002, our combined gross income (not counting bartending income, which I file quarterly & pay my own taxes on) was $69,000. We got a very nice chell back that year.
Last year, our combined gross income (less bartending) was $92,000. We got a 4-figure chell back that was almost THREE TIMES what we got the year before. We have no dependents and one house. We have no huge tax shelters other than retirement plans, give quite a bit of money to animal welfare charities, but many of the causes we support, such as NARAL, aren't tax-deductible.
This year, due to raises & bonuses, our gross income will be six figures. Unless tax laws are suddenly changed before 12/31/04 (which they won't be), our refund will be enough to walk into Best Buy, get a 42" HD Plasma TV and have a very nice lunch with the change.
Is this fair?
We should be, if not paying, getting next to nothing back, in my opinion. I'd like to feel that there is some karmic balance in the number of animals we assist, but that doesn't cancel out the fact that our situation is the norm under this administration.
No, we're not going to give our income away out of guilt. We WORKED for it and never took a dime from our parents for our education after high school, but we're not the only ones who work hard to get ahead.
Now, Eddie & I are in the low middle income ranges at both of our firms. Imagine what people we work with drive, live in AND get back from Uncle George.
This is wrong, and one of the many reasons we're voting for Kerry.
