BEST STATE - TAXES - PREZ ACTING?

Truth Or Consequences?

Listened to President Donald J. Trump address Congress and the nation.  For the first time to my ears and eyes, he actually behaved and spoke like he might be a country’s leader -- but what kind of leader?   Knowing his history, the words that flowed from my television’s speakers accumulated very deep in my room as I waded through them.  Some of them sounded good as I wanted them to be.  Still, when he has so repeatedly violated trust with his mendacity, how do I know much of what he said isn’t more of the same?   

    

When I texted a friend for their reaction, the response I received was:

"He’s acting as if he was on the Apprentice.   Someone else wrote the script -- he rehearsed  -- and delivered!  Maybe he should get an Academy Award.”

I found myself wondering -- has the leopard changed his spots?   

We’ve heard his talk -- now let’s see his walk.     

                

Tax Time

Time for me to go to work on my income taxes.  I’ve been doing them myself as my husband had, when he was living.   I still do them by hand rather than on my computer.  I like math.   I know there are internet programs available, also software programs that can be purchased, or even can hire someone -- the idea of paying money in order to pay taxes just doesn't sit well with me.   Why should a person have to pay money to pay taxes?   That's right!  I'm not a member of the 1%.   

Where do you want to live?   

There are many considerations when we think about desirable places to live: 

Health Care, Education, Crime and Corrections, Infrastructure, Opportunity,  Economy, Government are factors in the following report.

U.S. News and World Report offers a ranking of what states best serve their citizens.

This can be of special interest since expected federal government budget cuts will require individual states to have to assume more responsibility for many services to their citizens (cutting or eliminating services).  Middle class, poor and the less affluent segments of the population in many states may not fare so well, contrary to what citizens are being told by this administration's good intentions wishful thinking.  

As with many such rankings we may not necessarily agree with all their assessments. For many these rankings would be weighed against many other factors, not limited to, but including, cost of living, environment, and climate.   

Rankings Here for the Best States 

--  No.   1  Massachusetts 

 -- No. 23  California

What do you think about where your state is ranked?

PROCRASTINATION & PRIVACY

Well, I've really done it this year.   Get the coffee pot primed.....gather the microwavable foods and sandwich makin's at the ready.....make sure there are some fruits, nuts, other energy snacks at hand -- guess I'll definitely be spending this weekend doing my federal and state income taxes.

I pulled together all the paperwork, gathered the tax booklets and forms, or printed them off the Internet --  collecting this all in one file by the time January ended.  Why I haven't done any more since then would be hard to explain.  I remember hearing we had more days than usual this year to submit our returns and pay our taxes.  I'm sure I've had good reasons why I haven't done more before this, but I expect you would likely tell me, "That's no excuse!"

Since I began doing my taxes manually, by default, after my husband's death (he had always done them), I've just continued doing so.   I've become much quicker at the process as each year passes.

Yes, I know I could hire someone, or I could do them online or with a computer program, but I confess to having an attitude about doing so.   I've always liked playing with numbers so the mathematics isn't an issue.  But, something is terribly wrong with a tax system into which we pay that has become so complex we have to pay even more just to have somebody else figure out how much tax we owe -- even if our government tries to pacify us by making the cost of doing so tax deductible.    

Of course, hiring someone does create employment opportunities, so this may be our government's idea of one way to address creating more jobs.  I hope this doesn't mean I'm not a good citizen.  Maybe I better have a glass or two of the ol' vino with which to relax and contemplate this matter after mailing my tax form envelopes Monday.

At least I am supporting the postal service, so that must count for something toward my good citizenship.  I still like receiving mail in the box outside my home's front door.   Besides, I've never had a problem with anyone hacking into my ordinary mail -- not that they couldn't access it in other ways.   As much as I appreciate the digital world's mail speed, I can't help wondering if that older mail system provides more privacy ... as long as what's been mailed gets there.  I must say in all my years I've never had anything I mailed or that I knew was sent to me be compromised.      

Perhaps you don't procrastinate or fret about privacy, so maybe my thoughts are just tilting at windmills.