US National Gov. The Big Scarey word --Taxes.

Tax day just went by on April 15 and this got me pondering.  Where do our tax dollars go?  Our money goes to defense and international security assistance, Social Security, safety net programs, interest on the national debt, benefits for federal retirees/veterans, transportation, education, federal prisons and scientific medical research.  Then I remembered seeing an article about celebrities who owe taxes, which ticked me off.  We are hurting as a nation yet the self-absorbed find the IRS as an inconvenience of their time.  This is a very small list of elitist who flaunt their wealth. They owe an exuberant amount in taxes.

·         Burt Reynolds he owed the state of California $225,000 back in 1996

·         Austin’s own Willie Nelson $16 million in back taxes.

·         Nicolas Cage is constantly on the top ten offenders.  I find this ironic, when the star of “National Treasure” owes $6 million.

·         Marc Anthony owes ‘$2.5 million in back tax bills.  Then in 2010, he received two additional bills totaling over $3 million for unpaid taxes on real estate.’ 

·         Say it isn’t so Prince owes $ 500,000

·         Rob Lowe literally forgot to pay $269,956 to the Feds.  Forgot!  Forgot!  Get with reality April 15 dude…

·         Oh Martha Stewart once again your hands are slapped with $220,000 on an East Hampton mansion claiming she hardly spent time there why should she pay taxes on it?

·         Seriously!  The one that shocked me was the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner. Uhh ...what is your job?

·         The IRS finally makes a stand with Wesley Snipes, which owes $17 million in back taxes.  The IRS finally shows celebrities they do not screw around.  Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison.  He began serving his sentence in December 2010.

       The lesson?  If you earn money from it, so should Uncle Sam.  These people do not realize who they are hurting.  We work, pay our taxes, and know the consequences of not paying the IRS.   So many celebrities wear a "humanitarian" guise portraying they want to do good for our society. By these “superior” Americans not paying taxes, we skimp on programs such as scientific research, helping the homeless vets, and social security benefits. 

 

    I ask myself is this who I want to support with my hard earned money?

I have made a choice.  If they do not care about us “lowly” Americans, well I do not care to partake in any movie, cd, or magazine they make. . .I have an idea.  Want to do good for our society--

 Pay your damn taxes!

 

Comment on Colleague post Capital Punishment

My fellow colleague Mark Conditt chose an opinion editorial written by Tod Robberson.  Mark stated Mr. Robberson lacked knowledge to evaluate the incident with The Texas Seven case.  I must agree with Mr. Conditt.  I found this case fascinating, so I will expound a little more on the case, and Capital Punishment.  The blog Defining my Stance already picked apart  Mr. Robberson’s article.

In this video, these individuals realize that they live in a place of lost hope and they are not rational men.  One can comprehend The Texas seven are suffering from many mental disabilities and grandiose ideas.  Watching this video, Joseph Garcia displays depression and bipolar symptoms.  Any person who has taken even one class in psychology can see this. Garcia states he sleeps most of the time and dreams he is not in prison.  He perceives himself as a ninety year old blowing out birthday candles.  His mind has to focus on the positive or he will become a psychological disaster.  He spends his day exposing how he copes with the reality of waiting for his last breath.  Watching this video one can see these men did contemplate a better life not by being book smart but street smart by planning a clever escape.    Garcia has a delusion that he did nothing wrong, but he states he did not back down killing his first victim because “he lost it.”  Joseph was not present when the police officer was shot, but he did consent to robbing the store and in Texas, if you are there, you are involved. 
Rivas made the choice to fulfill a Psychological egoism, being a "great actor" and "cased the joint". He refuse to (maybe because of pride) let go of “Tony Montana” mentality.  The words he uses are very calm and collected for a man being executed soon.  I do believe these individuals should not have been cleared of the murder, but they should have not slipped through the system without more psychological evaluation. The statement George Rivas makes does sound like an individual who has some remorse.  Rivas knows what he did was wrong and he cannot reverse what has been done. As Mr. Conditt stated, "Instead, for 11 years he chose life by surrendering, instead."

"I do apologize for everything that happened.  Not because I'm here, but for closure in your hearts," Rivas said Wednesday evening in a statement intended for Hawkins' family.  "I really do believe you deserve that.

The slain officer's relatives were absent, but four officers who worked with him and the district attorney who prosecuted the case attended on his family's behalf.  They stood in the death chamber watching through a window just a few feet from Rivas.

The inmate thanked his friends who were watching through another window and said he loved them.  A Canadian woman whom Rivas recently married by proxy, also looked on.  “I am grateful for everything in my life," Rivas said.  "To my wife, I will be waiting for you."

Ten minutes later, at 6:22 p.m. CST, he was pronounced dead.

Capital Punishment is an emotionally draining appeals process on both parties involved.  In the end, Capital punishment does not bring the victim back to life.

What is our goal for the death penalty? Is our goal to remove an individual from society?  We have not even tried to see if they are capable of rehabilitation.  Do we really need a purpose, which is to punish the criminal?  Punishment does not deter others from committing murder.  Do we need to take retribution on behalf of the victim?  It will not bring them back to life.  These goals are not very clear, but we still find it acceptable to murder a guilty human.

What are the negatives  aspects of Capital Punishment?

        First, the financial costs exceed rehabilitation.  In Texas, a death penalty case costs an average of $2.3 million, about three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell at the highest security level for 40 years.  (Dallas Morning News, March 8, 1992).

           Mark stated, "Tod Robberson does a good job at making a argument against the death penalty without arguing that it's inhumane." I can't agree with the death penalty not being inhuman.

 Capital Punishment is barbaric and violates the "cruel and unusual" clause in the Bill of Rights.  The endless appeals and required additional procedures tie up the courts.  The constitution was written as a guidance of rules to follow by and the amendments help correct any problems that arise.  “For example, the story of slaves in America.  First the enslaved were not captives of a Pharaoh but of several Christian states operating a triangle trade.  This huge slave industry was blessed by churches and not protested; however, in the 18th century, a few free thinkers saw it as corrupt and brutal as well as exploited the masters who tortured slaves (Hitchens 175-176).”

Third, So many Americans have the revenge mentality of “eye for an eye,” which sends the wrong message.  It is an ineffective deterrent for anyone deciding to commit a crime. 
Finally, We are all-human and can make mistakes.  This story brought tears to my eyes about Greg Wilhoit.  He was been proven innocent of the crime, exonerated and freed almost two decades ago and is still suffering to this day.  In the case of Edward Lee Elmore, a black man sentenced to death in South Carolina in 1982.  Elmore, who was semi-literate with intellectual disabilities, but sent to death row for the murder and sexual assault of a white woman, even though there was little connection between him and the victim.

I too could have gone the “wrong” way, but had someone who loved me and guided me through life choices. This subject is discussed quite often in my house hold.   I grew up twenty minutes way from the Connally Unit.  Also, my father-in- law is a lawyer for the State of Texas in Huntsville. He signs the paperwork for executions. My mother-in-law is a psychologist dealing with many young individuals that are on the "wrong" path.  With many of our holiday dinners...I have learned that there are three sides to every story.