Greetings…

If you don’t mind, I would like to say something and tell you
something I feel you should hear and know. You’ll recall the
little “issue” that came up regarding Terri, a reader who was less
than happy with something I wrote regarding an American Idol contestant
and the loss of his wife. I spouted off with some wise acre remarks
and the blogs heated up with some additional comments defending me,
which by the way, I appreciate. Aside from Terri, one long-time reader
“dumped” me and let’s just say, it wasn’t a very pleasant exchange…

So, you may be asking? Terri emailed me with an apology and I feel it
only right to share, not her email which is private, but her sincerity
and unfortunately, her very deep pain at this time. She lost her husband
very recently and as you can probably imagine, is not only heartbroken,
but “raw” and her lashing out at me wasn’t really about me or anything I
said, it was more of her own pain and I’m sure you can understand just
how sad I feel for Terri. She couldn’t apologize enough about everything
she said and as I told her, no apology is necessary or needed.

She also asked me to apologize to all the readers she offended and again, I’m sure you forgive her.

I also told her that WE are all here for her should she need us to vent, cry,
scream, or lean on. I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say to Terri
that we are sorry for your loss and hope the passage of time eases the
pain and fills your heart with pleasant memories of happiness and joy…
Jamie

Before I get “started”, I want to let all of you know we’re having
email issues since that nasty conflkr virus hit last week. Some emails
have been lost, undeliverable, and bounced. I have received some emails,
but not nearly as many as I usually do which always tells me something
is “wrong”. While the techs are working on it, the blogs are unaffected
as far as being able to comment on “anything”. Hopefully, everything
will be back to normal quickly and I can get back to fielding hate mail…

Well, today’s is the deadline for filing your income tax returns in
the United States. For people that are getting a refund, chances are
they didn’t wait until the last minute. For the people that have to pay
taxes, or are professional procrastinators, you can bet they are all
running around like crazy right about now to get those envelopes
postmarked by midnight tonight, or time stamped over the Internet…

When it comes to the subject of taxes, people don’t always agree with
whatis “fair”. The “have-nots” resent the “haves” and feel they should
spread their wealth around, the “haves” feel they pay more than their
fare share and shouldn’t be penalized for being successful…

I, personally am for the straight flat tax, and can’t understand why
there isn’t a bigger move to head towards that. It seems to me that
this would be simpler, straight forward, and fair to all taxpaying
citizens…

For those who take advantage of the system and aren’t working, collecting
welfare, and screaming the loudest about the “haves” not paying enough,
the only thing that needs to be fixed MORE than the tax rates in this
country is the welfare abuse and the continuous “milking” of the system
for those who have made it an art and the ones who truly need assistance,
and are denied by that same system because they make 5.00 too much a week!

Yes, this is a sore subject with me and I have spoken about it before,
and will no doubt, talk about it again. Welfare, as well as Social Security
was put into place to assist the citizens of the United States. It was
never meant to be a way of life, nor a sole means of retirement income.
Unfortunately, it has become both, and it is not only scary to think of
living only on the government check you will get at retirement if you have
nothing else, it’s heartbreaking to hear the stories of senior citizens
that can’t afford food, medicine, or a semi-decent quality of life that
they worked all their lives for. Yes, I said “worked’ because our older
generation didn’t have their hands out looking for freebies, they lived
through and witnessed hardships most of us are lucky enough to have never
seen, no matter how tough it may seem at times in today’s age. While
they may age expecting all kinds of freebies and discounts, that doesn’t
take anything away from the type of generation they were…

When it comes to welfare, I am sympathetic to the needs of those less
fortunate and in need of assistance. What angers me is the “entitlement
mentality” that some people have when it comes to getting all they can get
from a government who gives without making some accountable and letting
them know that it’s an assistance program, not an unending source of
income for the rest of their lives without any effort on their part. It
is not a program to be taught to the next generation, or the next, or
the next…

The system has to be revamped. If you are on welfare for an extended time,
something should be “given back”. Your employer wouldn’t think of sending
you a check at the end of the week if you didn’t ever show up for work
right?

In communities where welfare recipients outnumber employees, why not set
up day care facilities for women to be able to work and have their children
watched by other welfare recipients. At least everyone is helping each other
out. The ones working would still get some assistance, but hopefully, it
would be a stepping stone to get OFF welfare. For the ones who are the
caregivers in the day care facilities, education could be introduced, not
only for the mothers, but for the children coming up through the system…

No, I didn’t say it would work, and I’m not saying I have all the answers,
and in fact, probably have NONE of the answers, but the one thing I DO
know is that the system is BROKEN the way it is, and it’s unfair to
constantly expect hard-working, tax-paying citizens to feel guilty for
making money, and equally unfair for those people to not have a say in
where their “charity” is going…

The greed and excesses we have seen the past year in regards to the
banking industry, investors, CEO’s, etc. has caused such a financial
tornado, it has also clouded some people’s judgement against average
middle-class people who have managed to weather the storm in this
crisis. The middle-class is comprised of a vast range of incomes,
yet all are considered “middle class”. For years, the middle class
has been bearing the brunt for the ultra-poor and the Uber-rich,
when it comes to taxes. They make too much for tax breaks, and they
make too little to take advantage of the loop-holes the ultra-wealthy
have enjoyed for years…

This is why I believe a flat tax based on what you make is a simple and
fair solution…

Oh well, forgive me for the “tax and welfare” rant. What can I say,
April 15th is “magical”…

Speaking of “magical”, Friday is THE day, I’m sure it’ll be so “magical”
my family will want me to “disappear”…