Ode to the IRS

Not written by Bruce Springsteen, yet his melody, Born in the USA kept running through my head yesterday. I spent three days preparing tax documents in order to be exempt from paying taxes on money received to be given away in charity. The song should be titled, Owed to the IRS, not Ode.

While we can all list complaints about paying taxes, little thought is given to the benefits we often take for granted. Oddly, the first thing that came to my mind is paved roads and our national highway system. If you have ever traveled the unpaved roads in a third world country, you know what I mean. A long and tortuous drive through ditches the size of hippos, on roads not wide enough for two cars to pass in opposite directions, makes you long for a date with your chiropractor and possibly your dentist. I traveled seventy miles in less than two hours this week. In many places,, if you even had a safe car, that could take the better part of a day.

Being able to call 911 is a benefit. In moments, the resources of police, paramedics and fire department come racing to your aid. All they ask is the nature of your emergency and your location. There are no questions about your race, religion, politics or finances.

If real life is anything like what I watch on NCIS LA, well, I am glad that our taxes pay for protection and defense while I enjoy my day and sleep securely at night. I also appreciate the sacrifice and dedication of those in military service. By nature, I am a pacifist. That being said, I will wreak violent banshee hell on anyone who tries to hurt my family.

I appreciate our economic system of imports and exports that lets me enjoy bananas and other fruits out of season, fresh flowers before our spring blooms, and aromatic spices grown only in remote parts of the world.

Our National park system, public libraries, and educational system offering thirteen years of education for every child are funded through taxation. If a child can't read, you can blame the family, not a teacher. Our public health and sanitation departments guard us from epidemic diseases through vaccination and waste management. We no longer fear tuberculosis, polio, smallpox, typhoid, cholera or measles.

Yes, we need proper oversight to avoid mismanagement of our communal funds.
True, unscrupulous businesses may cheat us all by scamming government contracts.
Each of us has more influence than we realize. Individual voices create a roar that our leaders must listen to. Pay attention to legislation, vote responsibly, attend town hall meetings, learn how your local and federal government works. Protest large corporations that do business here but establish a business office abroad to avoid paying taxes in the USA where they are really located. These tax loopholes must be closed if our economy is to grow. With millions unemployed and surviving on government benefits like unemployment and food stamps, we need all taxes to be paid fairly.

Lend your voice to causes that touch your heart in particular. It is so easy by registering on a website and signing petitions to legislators online. You can do it from your kitchen table. Volunteer in your community. Mentor someone else's child. Take a course in local emergency management and disaster preparedness.

If we don't get involved at a local community level, keep up with legislation, and take time to cast an informed vote, then we should shut up and quit complaining. WE are part of the problem and not the solution.

We definitely need to create change and It begins at home. I am grateful to live right here in America. I believe that we can work together to make our country stronger and the world healthier for all.