Did you know Americans, on average, worked from January 1, 2015 through tomorrow (April 24, 2015) just to pay the taxes for the year? (In Missouri, people worked until April 14 and in Wyoming until April 22, to pay their taxes.) Although I know the Tax Foundation lets us know that particular date each year based upon their computations, it still startles me when that day finally arrives. It is difficult to grasp the idea that I have worked since the beginning of the year until now just to cover taxes. Economist Kyle Pomerleau says that we will spend more on taxes than we will on food, clothing, and housing combined. Ouch.
As I was driving home from work yesterday I hit a fairly large pothole. Each time I hit a pothole with my car I think about the gas tax. We were hammered with a ten cent a gallon raise in Wyoming since I moved here. Have the roads improved? How about the cost of renewing license plates? Did that go down? I don’t think so. Sometimes it makes me question what happens to all of the money that is accrued from our taxes. How is it possible that our nation is trillions of dollars in debt?
I would continue pondering, but I better go rest. Now that I have worked long enough to pay my taxes, it is time to start working for food, housing, and clothing. I wonder how long I have to work to earn a vacation.