Just Take It All

I am starting to think that reading the Wall Street Journal may be bad for my health. It is simply frustrating to get the news. To read about the debate of various policies, the nitty gritty details of this awful economy can be so overwhelming. I may have to stop reading it for a while.

But I can't stop reading it because of Aidan and Zoe. Before they came along, I never looked at my taxes all that closely. True, Aidan came along when I was a resident, and as a resident, I made very little anyway. Now that I am responsible for them, I want to be wise, be sensible, to plan for their educational expenses, bar and bat mizvahs, weddings, and well, to set them out to the real world.

When I pay taxes, I feel that I am doing them a dis-service. Not just because then that money won't be saved for them or spent on them, but that the money is not being spent well by the government. With increased taxation, I see that pensions are being funded, but he is now sitting in a class with 24 other kids.

As a side note, I sometimes think we should get a prospectus from the government. When one holds stock in a company, one gets these financial statements. We should get that from the government: of every dollar in collected tax, exactly how is that spent?!

With the debate about estate taxes, I am becoming more and more annoyed. I am sure we won't have an 'estate' to give them- I am going to paying off my medical education well after we pay for Aidan's college- but I do want them give them something! Living where we are, a typical middle class family can easily have an estate of over one million, including real estate, jewelry, 401(k), life insurance, IRAs...etc. Some lawmakers want 55% of that?! I also don't like how the tax is being termed "the super wealthy people tax." Sure, Paris Hilton will quite the estate, but I am just a physician who is trying to be sure that my two kids, who are probably going to be under-educated, to have a jump start.

The idea of jump start is also controversial, isn't it? That the idea of estate tax is to spread things around, so that everyone has the same. What are we, communists? We all want our kids to have a jump start, even parents who are drug dealers want their kids to do well, at school, at drug dealing, or not. Why is it so bad?

Sure, Scripture says to give to Caesar what is due Caesar. That is true, but it sure seems like Caesar is looking for new ways to take stuff. I really hope Jesus comes soon, and very soon. I am ready to go and be with my Maker, along with my Hubby and cute kids, and none of us would have to worry about estate taxes.

Last note, some folks have been telling us that if we form a trust then we can avoid being taxed. I don't think that will be the case. If a foundation is started, then that would be useful to avoid taxes, but that is rather unlikely, don't you think? Does anyone know this for sure? I think the government is looking to tax trusts. What do I know, I am just a mother who wants to take care of kids from the grave.