Tax Joke....

fred cook · fred cook's Garage

I just got the tag/tax bills for my cars. I could not help laughing.

97 Jeep Cherokee Ad. Val. Tax = $50
99 Lincoln Navigator Ad. Val Tax = $125
04 Ford Taurus SES Ad. Val Tax = $158
80 Porsche 911SC coupe Ad. Val Tax = $2.85!

I'm not saying anything to anybody!

Fred Cook
'80 911SC coupe

Wil Ferch · 08-25-2004, 04:14 AM

I like the new "short form" Federal Tax form....only has two lines to fill out:

1.) What did you make last year?
2.) Send it in

--Wil

wrx paul · 08-25-2004, 05:18 AM

At least your not in NJ. We pay taxes even after we die. Another thing I don't understand is... You buy a new car and pay tax. You sell that car and the new owner pays tax again, and every time it is sold. Isn't that paying tax on the same thing?

Crowbob · 08-25-2004, 05:35 AM

Lets see if Randy from Planet Eugene would like to chime in and argue we are undertaxed...

Argeo · 08-25-2004, 07:07 AM

I find it interesting how the people I have talked to differ on how they vote. I have decided in my small sample (not scientific by no means so please no statistical backlash), the less people work, the more they vote for politicians that have records of favoring higher taxes.

I don't get it myself, I always think if you want to give more just donate, at least one can guide their money and also have a option to give when they have it. Unless one was benefiting from gov. handouts. What the? Wait a minute.

I understand we need taxes, I just question the amount we have to give sometimes.

David

look 171 · 08-25-2004, 07:46 AM

Argeo, talk to the Candians. My relatives complain all the time.

Argeo · 08-25-2004, 08:48 AM

Yeah, it could be a lot worse. I am not a fan of socialized medicine but if that's what they want, good for them.

I am signing off from this topic before I get myself in trouble.

Take care,

David

Randy Webb · 08-25-2004, 11:23 AM

"Lets see if Randy from Planet Eugene would like to chime in and argue we are undertaxed"

- What a stupid comment, JIMCRY.

GettinHeadStuds · 08-25-2004, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wrx paul
Isn't that paying tax on the same thing?

Tell me when I can start billing my $200/hour rate, then I'll answer your question.

Superman · 08-25-2004, 01:34 PM

David, I guess I'd be an "outlying" data point. Although my company bills for only eight hours per day, and although my co-worker and I have been told repeatedly, that we are forbidden from working more than eight, we routinely work a bare minimum of 10, and more often 12 or 14. I'm about as liberal a poster as you'll find here, and my co-worker makes me look like Stalin.

As I've said before, I'd rather pay more taxes. Just like I do not fix broken cables on the 911 with duct tape, I also do not think that the underfunded, haphazard way we deal with infrastructure needs is either appropriate or effective. Rather than paying $10 per year to keep an office functioning poorly and see the problem continue, I'd rather pay the $50 now, get rid of the problem once and for all. But that's not the "American" way. So, we all get to ***** about how poorly things run. You might ***** about it costing too much. I ***** about the problems not getting fixed because we seem to be committed to mediocrity. Liberals believe that what works with Porsches and other car, and everything else for that matter, also works for government. That is the old addage "You get what you pay for." Apparently, at least one group thinks that government is not subject to this principle?

BlueSkyJaunte · 08-25-2004, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Although ... we are forbidden from working more than eight, we routinely work a bare minimum of 10, and more often 12 or 14.

Super, posting diatribes on the OT forum doesn't constitute "work".

Crowbob · 08-25-2004, 01:49 PM

Well Superman,

I agree in principle. Problem is reality gets in the way. It is not my imagination that the more money is flushed down the tube, the larger the tube gets, so to speak. Statistically, the size of the problems we have now are just about the same as they were before the "Great Society". The $4Trillion+ does not seem to have helped. The motivated just work harder. "At either end of the Socioeconomic spectrum, there lies a leisure class." and there always will be.

mikester · 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Superman
David, I guess I'd be an "outlying" data point. Although my company bills for only eight hours per day, and although my co-worker and I have been told repeatedly, that we are forbidden from working more than eight, we routinely work a bare minimum of 10, and more often 12 or 14. I'm about as liberal a poster as you'll find here, and my co-worker makes me look like Stalin.

As I've said before, I'd rather pay more taxes. Just like I do not fix broken cables on the 911 with duct tape, I also do not think that the underfunded, haphazard way we deal with infrastructure needs is either appropriate or effective. Rather than paying $10 per year to keep an office functioning poorly and see the problem continue, I'd rather pay the $50 now, get rid of the problem once and for all. But that's not the "American" way. So, we all get to ***** about how poorly things run. You might ***** about it costing too much. I ***** about the problems not getting fixed because we seem to be committed to mediocrity. Liberals believe that what works with Porsches and other car, and everything else for that matter, also works for government. That is the old addage "You get what you pay for." Apparently, at least one group thinks that government is not subject to this principle?

The thing is that people who are in government aren't there as a benevolent gesture to support the country (for the most part). It's just a job that has great benefits and that is why they are so prized by lazy people. I see it every day and if you gave where I work an extra $40 for something that they originally had $10 for and really needed $20 - they would waste the extra including the $10 they really needed. I'm pretty liberal too but just throwing money at Governement isn't a solution it's a waste. We need genuine accountability for every $$ that is spent by the government at every level. Those checks and balances themselve cost money but I think that if they were properly implemented in the long run we'd save. I'm not saying "don't spend" I'm saying spend wisely. It doesn't seem to me that the folks in the middle know what that means.

I was just in a meeting where we were talking about our server needs to monitor some databases. We didn't need much of a server for this and originally the admin asked for a recycled server that was no longer in use. His superiors started looking to spend 10K on a new one that was much more than he needed or wanted. I just shook my head and pointed them to the paper I was holding and that article that described the trouble our teachers have paying for supplies and such for their classrooms. Things that really should be provided for them and NOT paid for out of their pockets - yet they are EXPECTED and even demanded at times to spend their own money in the classroom. How many times have you spent YOUR own money for your office supplies at work? I never have too and never have. I ended the question about the new server and they promptly gave him a recycled one. It really didn't matter though because the moneys for each come from totally different budgets. If you save money in one budget that means you won't get it next year - I've always thought this was completely and totally flawed. Each year should be evalutated independantly based on the needs and plans of that coming year for what ever department. A baseline is fine for normal operations and that baseline should be maintained in the general fund but outside of that special budgets for projects and needs should be established. Agency's should be rewarded for saving money from their general funds from year to year and lowering general operating costs. Again; The Republicans who claim to be Conservative have never said anything like this and the Democrats just seem to want to throw money at things.

I've always thought it would be great if the governement would give me an itemized receipt showing how my hard earned $$$ were spent. I don't mind paying more for good infrustructure and I know that if John Kerry is elected my tax bill will likely increase - I'm prepared for that but I'm not prepared to hand over more money without holding him accountable even it if means I vote against him in the next election.

kumma · 08-25-2004, 02:09 PM

superman- the main flaw with your logic is assuming that more money will always fix a problem. give more out of your pocket and the politicos will just find a way to squander it on themselves and other usless stuff. Spending wisely and properly is a better way to approach some of these problems. of course this will never happen because our goverment is full of money grabbing crooks who look out for #1 instead of the people.

Moneyguy1 · 08-25-2004, 03:45 PM

Interesting take on "gumment" workers.

I did some time with local government. I was salaried (no OT) and worked an average of 55 hours a week, many of those ours on Saturdays and Sundays. I also worked for years in the private sector. I saw as much goldbricking and waste in one as I did in the other. Some government workers would resent the accusation that they are lazy, and rightly so. That is the remark of an uninformed individual, showing ignorance of the individuals in question and the internals of the system.

"Let me not judge my brother until I have walked a mile in his moccasins"

When the public stops asking government to fix an ever increasing number of perceived problems, then and only then will the cost of government begin to go down.

Superman · 08-25-2004, 04:08 PM

I have to tell you my reaction to Mikester's post. It lead off with a nasty right hook that pissed me off. This business about gubmint workers being lazy. Like Bob, I worked in government for a time, so it is easy for me, and him, to tell the difference between ignoramuses, and folks who have personal knowledge of who gets paid from my tax dollars. There are lazy people everywhere. But by and large, what you'll find if you look, is that exactly the opposite of your lead-off remark is true. The pay and benefits are not that attractive, frankly. State workers are routinely paid less than their private-sector counterparts. My state deliberately, admittedly, targets 80%. They do pay studies, and they increase state workers pay, sometimes up to 80% of market. Then inflation eats that down between wage studies. Also, some of the folks I worked with there, I would gleefully pair up wiht private-sector counterparts in a head-to-head competition, and grab a bag of popcorn. Some of those state workers are butt-kickers. The reason they forego higher pay, the reason they work there, is precisely the reason you reject. They believe in their mission. Trust me when I tell you that when I went from the private sector to the public, it was enormously more satisfying to know that I was doing more than making money for me and a business owner. I was helping people, and that is a horrible addiction. I've still got that jones, though I am a consultant now.

Then, the rest of Mikester's post read like Shakespeare. Perfect. Agree completely. Bravo. Hit the nails on the head. I couldn't agree more. Accountability is important and lacking. Government accounting and budgeting processes are insane. But here's the kicker:

It's YOUR gubmint. If you're listening to conservative talk show radio, and whining about how gubmint is "them," then you're part of the problem, instead of being part of the solution.

mikester · 08-25-2004, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Superman
I have to tell you my reaction to Mikester's post. It lead off with a nasty right hook that pissed me off. This business about gubmint workers being lazy. Like Bob, I worked in government for a time, so it is easy for me, and him, to tell the difference between ignoramuses, and folks who have personal knowledge of who gets paid from my tax dollars. There are lazy people everywhere.

It wasn't really intended to be a right hook (I'm a lefty anyway). It's true, there are good people in Government; no argument there - I work with them every day (I work in government). I work with contractors who are trying to do their best every day (and they get paid for it too). At the same time I see so many people who work in the same place who are nothing but roadblocks and speed bumps. I'll let it go at that.

Quote:

Originally posted by Superman

Then, the rest of Mikester's post read like Shakespeare. Perfect. Agree completely. Bravo. Hit the nails on the head. I couldn't agree more. Accountability is important and lacking. Government accounting and budgeting processes are insane. But here's the kicker:

I'll concede that as well.

Quote:

Originally posted by Superman

It's YOUR gubmint. If you're listening to conservative talk show radio, and whining about how gubmint is "them," then you're part of the problem, instead of being part of the solution.

The last thing I listen too is a conservative talk show - I have island an mullholland here for that.

pwd72s · 08-25-2004, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Randy Webb
"Lets see if Randy from Planet Eugene would like to chime in and argue we are undertaxed"

- What a stupid comment, JIMCRY.

That's because, here in the people's republik of Oregon, we all pay the same license fee. Meaning...30 year old P-car, brand new Ferrari...same fee for plates. Beware of the other taxes & fees though. They tend to support the bureaucrats over private industry.