Dont't Tread on Me!

Yesterday I watched a portion of the broadcast of the House Ways and Means Committee hearing regarding the IRS alleged targeting of conservative groups and individuals through intimidation and harassment. I came away saddened and ashamed that an arm of my government would so flagrantly trample upon the rights and freedoms of its employers -- the people. Our nation, which holds itself up to the rest of the planet as a symbol of freedom and liberty for all now has a big glob of egg on its face.

The idea that we periodically elect (or re-elect) officials and representatives to manage the affairs of our great nation in the best interest of ALL its people has become a farce. We have become increasingly like any third rate banana republic with a government that will use its power primarily to stay in power. The whole idea that federal and local governments are constrained and limited by the articles and amendments of our constitution is becoming more and more vaporous.

All that said, there is something causing me even greater concern and trepidation as the future unfolds. That being, throughout history governmental regimes built upon the charisma and seductiveness of a single individual rarely end gracefully.

"Don't tread on me!"

Census

We filled in our census questionnaire and mailed it in a few weeks ago. Pretty painless. So I am in the majority (barely) of people that did so in our area. I'm not sure what the objection some have to being counted. Americans are strange creatures in some ways. We'll rail about the government trying to invading our privacy while we think nothing of posting intimate information on FaceBook or other social web sites. Go figure.


How about filling out your form and get counted. Make 100% our goal. (That was the first embedded link on this blog. I was dying to try it.)

But then I read elsewhere barely half of U.S. households pay federal income tax. The rest pay nothing. What's up with that? Come on people! You're enjoying the benefits of living in this great society. We need you to pony up your share of Obama care and other government handouts. The same article pointed out that the top ten percent of tax payers pay 73% of the taxes. And we still hear a clamor to "tax the rich". It's nuts. The time is approaching when the few tax payers left will no longer be able to support the growing number of leaches in our society. What happened to our pride?