Tax Day

"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. From time to time we've been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. Well, if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else? All of us together, in and out of government, must bear the burden."
-President Ronald Reagan, 1981 Inauguration speech

I figured 15 days into April would be about time that I post something for the first time this month. That and my Mom posted on my Facebook wall that I needed a new post. Thanks Mom.

Today is tax day. The day where the deadline is set for you to claim your money and give a sizable portion of it to the government. Each year it just reminds me how much I'd rather keep more of my money.

I posted this quote because I am reminded so much, working in state government and reading national news, how much my generation is one of no personal/individual responsibility.

For example, an article by a woman named Phyllis Schlafly said this: "Income tax day, April 15, 2010, now divides Americans into two almost equal classes: those who pay for the services provided by government and the freeloaders. The percentage of Americans who will pay no federal income taxes at all for 2009 has risen to 47 percent. That isn't the worst of it. The bottom 40 percent not only pay no income tax, but the government sends them cash or benefits financed by the taxes dutifully paid by those who do pay income tax."

How lovely.

The generation before me, my generation, and undoubtedly generations to come have been and will be bred to have no incentive to work and earn money on their own. Their attitude: government will take care of me.

It makes me absolutely sick.

I understand that there are some who legitimately need assistance from government, and that's fine. But we are now dancing on a very, very fine line of giving money from those who have it to those who do not. I'm all for helping others, but we're not just helping those who need it, we're starting to help everyone else too at the expense of the money that I and many others make getting up every morning and having responsibility in life. The statistics are astounding. And our society cannot function or be sustained running on this sort of policy. Plain and simple.

I understand that the job market is tough, believe me. But there is work to be found out there. No, it may not be a career or even that glamorous, but it's out there.

It is probably one of my greatest wishes for society that my generation and those that follow will decide to take pride in themselves and their future. That they assume individual responsibility for what they have and not accept mediocrity. That we become a generation that helps solve our national issues, not worsen them over time.

Happy Tax Day everyone.