Stumbling on Tax Reform. Why Don’t Democrat Leaders See the Obvious Need for Reform of the Tax Code? – We need to be careful of the language. The DemonRats do want to re-form the tax system, so as to soak the evil rich even more than they already do. Reform doesn’t mean improve or make fairer. It just means change the current form, which is what the Dems always want to do because the rates can never be high enough to suit them.

ACU Continues to Stand in Way of Tobacco Tax Hike on Consumers – It will be a tough fight because nicotine addicts are extremely popular targets of taxers, as well as the most dreaded of pariahs in almost every part of our society nowadays.

Car-tax detour confronts gov.-elect – Arnold is discovering the double standard of

taxation. It is very easy for our rulers to raise taxes; yet it’s much more difficult to lower them. This is by no means an accidental arrangement by our rulers.

Some timely quotes from The Quotations Page

“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.”

— Ernest Benn

“Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy.”

— Groucho Marx

The Deficit’s Falling – Another example of why I’ve always said that projected Federal budget figures are nothing more than WAGs (wild ass guesses) and not to be trusted as anywhere close to accurate predictions of reality. Anyone who cites these numbers as legitimate is either an idiot, a liar, or both.

One of my underlying beliefs has always been that just complaining about things isn’t as productive as doing something about them. Everyone likes to complain about taxes, but few want to make the effort to do something about keeping the lid on them. This is why I have always made a strong point about taxes being the symptoms of other problems, namely irresponsible people in positions of high power in our various levels of government. People who claim that discussions of politics have no place in tax news are too short sighted to themselves be trusted for any real tax advice.

In this spirit, I do feel good when I hear news of people fighting back against the ruling elite who have no qualms about shoving ever higher tax bills down the throats of their subjects. Some Ohio taxpayers have reached their breaking point when their RINO governor broke a promise to not raise taxes without a vote and unilaterally increased the state sales tax by 20%. The anti tax forces have an ally in high places, Ohio’s Secretary of State, Ken Blackwell, who the Wall Street Journal refers to as Arnold of Ohio

Tax-and-spend Republicans are strangling Ohio

Citizens for Tax Repeal – The group circulating the petition to repeal the sales tax increase.

Ohio Taxpayers Association – A watchdog group over State taxation abuses.

IRS has gotten faster in releasing its standard mileage rates. They just announced what they will be for 2004. Employers and others who base their company rates on the IRS’s have plenty of time to set things up for next year.

The optional standard mileage rate for business use of an automobile (including vans, pickups and panel trucks) in 2004 will increase to 37.5 cents a mile from the 36 cents this year. You can also use this rate to calculate business-travel deductions instead of figuring out your actual costs.

As I’ve mentioned several times before, IRS bean counters long ago discovered that vehicles use less fuel and depreciate less when driven for charitable or medical purposes, as well as when you are moving your residence. Their official standard rate for using an auto for medical reasons, or for calculating deductible moving expenses, will increase to 14 cents a mile next year from 12 cents this year.

However, the standard rate will remain at 14 cents a mile when using your vehicle on behalf of charitable organizations. This is another example of the fact that, while deductions for charitable deductions are useful, those costs can generally save you twice as much in taxes if they can be deducted on your business schedule.

I haven’t yet seen one of these new bills in person. However, the theme of the comments on its new look is interesting. It makes me wonder – Who would be designing the currency of the PRC if it were to do what many people want and secede from the union and become the Left Coast version of Cuba?