Ticked

It is a bright, warm, beautiful day and I am in a foul mood. Perhaps you are wondering how anyone could be in a bad mood on a glorious day like today. My mood will make more sense if it is remembered that today is Tax Day. Of course I’m unhappy. Allow me to explain.

Most people have filed their tax returns long before Tax Day. That is because they are excitedly awaiting a tax refund. They wouldn’t be so happy if they realized that they have loaned the state and federal governments their money as an interest free loan. It was the taxpayers’ money to start with and they allowed the government use of it for a year for no return. Some people would call such actions stupid. But not me… okay, yes I will. Getting a refund is stupid.

As a minister, the Internal Revenue Service treats me as self-employed. Trust me, they are not doing me a favor. My taxes are not withheld from my paycheck. I have to set that money aside myself and send a check to the government quarterly. Being self-employed, I also pay my entire Social Security withholdings myself, instead of sharing the payment with my employer. Such a deal!

So, today I find myself writing the state and federal governments very large checks to pay my past year’s taxed. Ouch. In addition to that, I also write checks to the state and federal governments for the first quarter taxes on my present year’s estimated income. Ouch, ouch. I sit here feeling as empty and depleted as my checking account. Spent. And violated.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a great believer in paying my fair share. I am not along for the ride and long ago learned that there is no such thing as a free lunch (or college or health care.). Somebody is going to pay and I am willing to do my part. Here is where I feel violated: Much of the tax law is passed hidden in other legislation or tax code is just written by bureaucrats in the Internal Revenue Service. I am, like our founding fathers, a believer in no taxation without representation. And the representation I do have doesn’t give my concerns, needs or desires a second thought when voting in Congress. Let me put it this way: my representatives in Washington don’t give a rip about me. And, by the way, they don’t give a rip about you, either.

I am in a foul mood today because I hate wasting money. I like to purchase useful, quality products and I love a bargain. I am getting none of that out of my tax dollars. Much of the government’s income is being farted away paying on a ridiculous amount of debt, senseless boondoggles, being eaten away by layers and layers of bureaucrats’ overblown salaries and dropping a $16,000,000.00 bomb to kill 64 perceived enemies. And the list could go on. Stupid is stupid and the government’s use of our tax dollars, in many ways, is stupid. And stupid depresses me.

So, it is a glorious day and I am depressed. Fortunately, I will get over it.

Copyright © 2017, William T. McConnell, All Rights Reserved

Bill McConnell is the Interim Minister at Norwood Christian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is a Church Transformation consultant and a Christian Leadership Coach. He is a frequent speaker at Church Transformation events. His latest book on church transformation is DEVELOPING A SIGNIFICANT CHURCH and is available at Westbow Press.

He can be contacted @ bill45053@gmail.com. Connect with him on Facebook @ William T. McConnell or on Twitter @billmc45053 or visit his Amazon Author Page @ Amazon.