Wednesday, March 18, 2009

I'm boiling the tar and plucking the feathers

So today we went to our tax guy. By the time we left I was steaming inside, not because of the tax guy, but because of the stupidity of our government again.

Last year, he asked us if we had purchased an energy efficient furnace in 2007, because we could have received a nice "green" tax break if we did. So last summer we replaced our 50 percent efficient 30-year-old furnace with a new 95 percent "green" furnace.

So we arrived in the tax guy's office with our receipts ready for our tax break. Wrong. Congress did not renew the "green" tax break for 2008, but now has renewed it for 2009. So our "green" purchase in 2008 does not qualify for the tax break because Congress decided 2008 didn't need to be "green."

What are these idiots smoking in D.C.?

On top of that, I made a little extra money with a part-time job last year and learned today that because I didn't pay quarterly FICA payments and tax payments, on top of the $2,300 I owe in taxes, Uncle Sam wants me to pay a $40 penalty for not filing quarterly, something I knew nothing about.

So, being the smart fellow that I always am, I asked the tax guy if I could plead the Tim Geitner defense that I didn't know. Wrong again. I guess unless you are being considered for a high government or cabinet position, you have no immunity from penalties even for something as ridiculous as not making quarterly payments on a little part-time job.

I just wish there was a big hole they would all fall in and stay in. So I'm wondering tonight how much President Obama's trip on Air Force One to appear on Jay Leno is going to cost the taxpayers and how little they really needed my extra $40.

Someone, please tell President Obama that he WON the election and therefore does not have to continue his election campaign. I want the guy to succeed, but please send a message of thrift and conservation by staying in that nice little White House the American taxpayers give you.

Rant officially over.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

AMEN! I do not believe a sitting President should go on a late night entertainment show. Act like a president not a celebrity PLEASE! This white house is acting very immature.
The press secretary can barely get through a day without bringing up Rush Limbaugh- Grow UP!

Anonymous said...

I don't know, I just watched him filling out his NCAA brackets on ESPN, in the Oval Office.

And saying he was too busy to watch the full games.

At least when he's filling out basketball betting slips, he's not nominating guys to run our tax system who have systematically cheated on their taxes!

Anonymous said...

Lots of sitting presidents have been on late night talk shows. Most tape the appearance, however. President Bush was even on American Idol.

Read your history before commenting.

Anonymous said...

I've been calling him the campaigner-in-chief for about a month now. I'm hoping it catches on. Wish I could give myself credit, but then the boothies would know that I post here.

Eric said...

Hey come on, Obama is the answer to all of our problems! He's going to fix the economy by spending billions of dollars on a stimulus package that won't work and on national healthcare, all while the government is trillions of dollars in debt.

Meanwhile he's allowed a new law that does not allow motorcycle dealerships to sell youth motorcycles and ATVs because of lead. That sounds like something to help the economy! Let's tell dealers that are already struggling because people aren't buying "toys" that they can't sell the machines that they already have IN STOCK. That will really help them succeed.

We really need a third party in our current electoral process. We need someone in the middle. I'm so sick of stupid party politics. The Republicans screw everything up that they touch. The the Democrats get a hold of it and screw it up in the other direction. Why can't someone get elected who actually has some common sense?

Not that it matters in Michigan. Hitler could run as a Democrat and the people in this state would vote him in. How else do you explain Gov. Granholm being re-elected?

Anonymous said...

C'mon, the president is appearing on the Tonight Show because he'll already be in Cali doing a town hall forum with that state's GOP governor.

When so many Americans get their current events news from late-night TV shows like Leno and Jon Stewart, why wouldn't the president capitalize on that? And what exactly is un-presidential about trying to connect with Americans where they are?

I'd rather have my president sitting on Jay Leno's couch than have him trampling the constitution like the Bushies did, which isn't very presidential at all.

Apparently, your guy lost in November. Get over it.

Anonymous said...

I believe he was already supposed to be in LA for something. But don't let the facts get in the way of a good rant.

Anonymous said...

I am disappointed in Geitner not paying all his taxes,but did he not have to pay the penalty just as you are required to do?

Anonymous said...

Jay rules! So what if the Pres wants to appier on late night T.V.? Its history. Let it be.

Anonymous said...

Give the man a chance! Its history.

Anonymous said...

We must all remember, he is a celebrity that is how he was elected. Rock Star! that is we the media made him and people are not as much under the Pied Piper's powers and begin to see the light. Oh well, we get what America asked for and then some!

Jim of L-Town said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Leno is an Icon and if Obama wants to drop in on Jay, let him. Leave Jay alone.

Anonymous said...

I just got done watching Obama on Leno and he was real good. If I had the means Id pay his air fare.Hes no Naider and I think thats a good thing. As a nation we need to help whom ever is in our house. "United" means all of us.

Anonymous said...

Funny how many "assumptions" people bring to this blog, isn't it Jim?

How much they "read" into seemingly simple things?

rofl

Jim of L-Town said...

Dear anonymous:

I watched the Leno thing too, and while he was good, as the father of a special needs son, I didn't appreciate the joke about "Special Olympics."

At least he didn't say "Short bus," but still a little below the President of the United States to make fun of that group of people.

"History-making," not so much.

I'm not a cheerleader for either party and don't believe those in the media should be either.

As I have said (over and over) I want President Obama to succeed, heck I wanted President Bush, Clinton, the First Bush, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson, Kennedy, Eisenhower and Truman (well, I was only 1 for Truman) to succeed as well.

There were plenty of folks on both sides who did their best both then and now to tear down the President who was not of their party or liking.

I wonder what the media would have said if say, George Bush, had made fun of "Special Olympics?"

Can you say firestorm?

I just believe in applying the same standards and scrutiny to whoever is in the office, whether I like them or not.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, media scrutiny. Like Obama bombing Pakistan twice in his first 50 days. Bush does that and he's impeached.