Living in the US is so taxing!

It's been quite some time since I've been able to post on here and for my loyal blog checkers, I apologize. I know how frustrating it is to continually check someone’s blog only to find that it's still as it was a week ago. (You know who you are...)

So over the next few posts, I'll be discussing some of the things I've been mulling over during my recent blog silence.

Taxes: I am amazed that the American people are not more outraged over taxes. In regards to our money, our government gets us coming and going! They tax our money when we earn it: Income tax. This is anywhere from 20%-50% of your income depending on how much you make in a year. They tax us when we don't earn it: Capital Gains Taxes on interest of our savings or stocks. They tax us when it's a gift: Estate Tax. If my mother dies, and leaves me stuff, the government takes some of it! Then they tax us when we spend it: Sales Tax. And there are the specific items that have their own tax: Gas Tax, Prepared food tax, Amusement Tax, Liquor tax, Luxury tax, Cigarette tax, telephone taxes, Then they tax us because we own it: Property tax, Recreational vehicle tax, Excise tax, etc.

And don't forget, any fee you pay to your city or state for a license is really a tax without the title: Dog license, drivers license, car registration, parking meters, building permit, yard sale permit, hunting license, fishing license, marriage license, toll roads, and traffic fines to name a few.

And yet somehow states don't have enough money for education. The feds can't balance a budget! “We need to raise taxes!” ("There's nothing more permanent than a temporary tax." (and a temporary dorm at Gordon)) How is this possible?!

Here is a semi complete list of current taxes:

Accounts Receivable Tax
Capital Gains Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Court Fines (indirect taxes)
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Food License Tax
Fuel permit tax
Gasoline Tax (40 cents per gallon)
Inheritance Tax Interest expense (tax on the money)
Inventory tax IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Local Income Tax
Luxury Taxes
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Septic Permit Tax
Service Charge Taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Taxes (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone federal excise tax
Telephone federal universal service fee tax
Telephone federal, state and
Local surcharge taxes
Telephone minimum usage surcharge tax
Telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax
Telephone state and local tax
Telephone usage charge tax
Trailer Registration Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

But it gets better! All of these taxes still don't seem to cover the cost of running a government! Lawmakers and tax-takers have to become more creative. Check out this completely real and true tax that I found: In Tennessee, when you acquire an illegal drug (even "moonshine"), you have 48 hours to report to the Department of Revenue and pay your tax, in exchange for which you'll receive stamps to affix to your illegal substance. The stamps serve as evidence you paid the tax on the illegal product. You need not provide identification to get the stamps and it's illegal for revenue employees to rat you out. If you are caught with an illegal substance that you have not paid the tax on, not only are you arrested, but you are also fined for the tax you didn't pay!

Here's the question: None of these existed a hundred years ago and yet our nation was the among most prosperous in the world, had zero national debt, had a larger middle class than it does now, and it was commonplace for one parent to work and actually support the family. What happened?!

Where does all of this tax money GO?! We shouldn't have half of these taxes! The first to go should be the state and federal income tax! *sigh* Just my opinion.