Blue Collar Guilt

I am not sure why, but I feel like a scoundrel. I have what feels like lead in my stomach. I received another letter from the IRS telling me that I owe more taxes than I paid in 2007- a sizable amount I might add. I first got notification in April. In 2007 I transferred some IRA funds, as well as former employer 401K money and Ameritrade did not correctly report the IRA transfer. Simple mistake- easily clarified. I sent the rollover forms in to the IRS. I thought we were cool… Living guilt free.

Apparently not, they want me to ante up a sizable chunk of cash. They don’t seem to show the corrections. I have contacted an attorney… I will ante up some funds- but not to them, keeping the wheels of capitalism greased. I apparently need to have someone handle the situation, someone who knows how to square dance the IRS way. Guess a simplified tax code is out of the question.

Until I get the clarification from the IRS, I will still feel like a criminal. It’s a blue-collar thing. I do not want to be seen as a shirker- but a lawful American. I don’t want to receive letters from the IRS. I am confident it will be clarified- at a cost to me, of course. But I can and will regain my honor. It is worth it to me.

I remember my father- in his sober periods, sitting down at the kitchen table with his Republic Steel paycheck and paying bills- satisfying his responsibilities. It instilled a bit of pride in the old man- he had put aside the bottle and was manning up to his duties… Short lived or not- this was a valuable learning tool. I found that staying sober is better, and paying your bills gives you peace. You also knew where you car was, and you were not evicted for not paying rent. I also had the times he was not out of the bottle to balance and learn from. I learned later through trial and error that living within your means is also key to a peaceful life-sober or not.

These thoughts, basic premises of what is honorable and what it means to be at peace, is what amazes me about the government official and legislators who seem to feel no shame as they forget to report income- even though they are responsible to write the tax laws, or make mistakes on their tax forms, and are now responsible the IRS.

I won’t even go into living within your own means.

Charlie Rangel the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee- responsible for writing tax laws somehow did not know that he had to report income on a rental property…and then years later, had to adjust his 1040 once more because he forgot about some property he owned (worth a Million or so- who can keep track?) I guess being a representative is a well-paid position.

Tim Geitner, the only person in the world who could lead us out of this financial mess we are in (how’s that working out- by the way?) had underreported income, even though he had numerous notifications that he needed to report the income… He had used Turbo Tax (as do I) and somehow that was blamed. Now he is chasing scoundrel like me as the head of an agency he could not be hired into, because of his tax missteps: Treasury Secretary- in charge of the IRS. Tim did pay the taxes past due- but only moments before he was appointed Chairman of the Treasury (IRS). I don’t think the Turbo Tax defense would fly for me. I don’t have the guts to even try.

I guess I am wrong to feel this blue-collar guilt- I don’t think I am wrong to want to pay my bills- live within my means and pay my fair share. This is the honorable thing to do.

I once listened to Rep Rangel give a speech some years ago at a Law School graduation… I remember thinking that while I disagree with his liberal leaning- he is a legislator; he is giving back to his country and must be a patriot. He must be honorable.

Rangel, Geitner, and others who shirk their responsibilities- especially those that has positions of authority in government- are not honorable men…

But we are the smucks who keep reelecting them to office...

God Bless us all...