How much did I pay?

I just finished my tax returns for 2008. It is amazing how much of my daily pay goes to taxes. Take that federal number, add in the homeowners tax I pay, then add 8% of every dollar I spend for sales tax and you realize how much goes to the government. You pay 30-40% taxes before you get it, then you pay 8% as you spend it! WOW!

I know taxes are a sensative subject, because it immediately becomes political. I don't mind taxes, just make sure that they are being used prudently. It is also a very popular opinion that the rich should have their taxes raised. I'll go a step beyond that, they should pay the taxes they owe now. Three of Obama's cabinet appointees had tax evasion issues. THREE! They are all rich. If we raise their taxes, they'll just avoid the raises too. Daschle was the former senate majority leader (the ranking democrat in the senate, also a rich guy), and he owed $140,000 in back taxes. If he was an athlete or an actor, he might be in jail. Let's not raise taxes on the rich, let's collect the taxes they already owe!

Fact is, as long as their are a million tax laws and tax shelters, it creates enough confusion that the super smart tax geeks can "hide" money or blatantly cheat and claim ignorance. Dallas' own Ron Kirk chose the second option. Meanwhile, I'm digging through files of paper trying to find the amount of money Carrie received for jury duty. By the way, it was $6, and I reported $6 in income. The rich get the mine, the poor get the gold, and I get the shaft!