[speaker001:] okay
[speaker002:] there we go
[speaker001:] well uh what do you think about taxes do you think we're paying too much
[speaker002:] yes and no income tax no I uh I look at it this way uh you've got to pay for the privilege of living here
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] but uh being a uh a rec vehicle owner well in fact I live in a motor home I'm a full what they call a full timer and uh it burns gas like crazy I only get seven miles to the gallon I really resent this fact that they keep adding on gasoline taxes and they call it uh uh what's the word they use anyway a luxury a luxury tax
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] they gave add it on on to tires and gasoline cigarettes liquor and it doesn't bother me any because I've quit drinking and I quit smoking so that doesn't bother me but I don't think it's fair it's it's too um
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] um it's attacking just certain people
[speaker001:] how true
[speaker002:] and even with the gasoline tax
[speaker001:] yeah well gasoline especially in this part of the country we all use it all the time you know it's that's not what I would consider a luxury
[speaker002:] no uh fifty years ago the automobile was a luxury but it's a necessity today and uh as hard as they try to get these public transit things going I have never seen nor heard of one that uh really really got of the ground
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] or that accomplish what they set out to accomplish to accomplish what are your feelings on it
[speaker001:] well um I I think that we probably are paying a little too much tax considering what we're getting for it and how it's being managed and so forth I mean I I think there could be a better system and we would get more for our money it's totally out of our hands so we don't we can't really do a whole lot about how that money is spent and where it goes and and
[speaker002:] yeah that that's that's so true I mean they say well you voice your opinion uh uh uh on election day
[speaker001:] but not really
[speaker002:] no you don't look what happened on the last presidential election read my lips and what happened they turned around and double crossed us
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] so uh I mean you you can't believe what you what you hear
[speaker001:] well I think too one of the things that rubs me the wrong way the most is those programs that are funded by Congress and that don't seem to have any validity at all I mean they're always far out and uh you know they're studying some obscure uh bug you know in some other part of the world or some such thing and and our tax money pays for those things and I think that's wrong
[speaker002:] oh uh yes
[speaker001:] I
[speaker002:] I agree and and uh uh I also think we extend too much help to other uh countries we need enough help here in this country
[speaker001:] that's right
[speaker002:] they're still people starving people here why should we help starving people somewhere else
[speaker001:] yeah and I think here lately they've been saying quite often and maybe somebody's coming to realize that we're the nation in trouble
[speaker002:] absolutely absolutely now I can't wait for uh I I could just picture what's what's going to happen here in the not to distant future we keep hearing well we're going to receive uh eight billion dollars from Japan for the uh uh uh the uh uh the the the big war over there in the Mideast
[speaker001:] the war um-hum
[speaker002:] and uh so many billions of dollars here and there and everything and uh the next thing you know we'll be turning turning around just like we did to Poland and say well just forget it
[speaker001:] yeah and I think that's a mistake somewhere somewhere you know we have to realize that we can't just keep giving it away
[speaker002:] oh definitely well another thing now they they keep the decontrolling different things first it was the airlines then it was banks and and uh um savings association and what not
[speaker001:] we know what trouble they got into
[speaker002:] exactly and the same with the airlines back in the days when they were uh controlled and and uh uh transcontinental or um um um um interstate uh trucking I mean as soon as the uh the federal government gave up control on all that they just went to hell in a hand basket
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] uh prices went uh sky high you know in the in the case of airlines of course they became highly competitive and they cut each others throats until they're they're reach the point where they're cutting their own throat and uh well of course that's getting away from taxes isn't it that that's government controlled but um
[speaker001:] well I I think another thing too that um I've had a little contacted with uh in regard to taxes let's say that um you have something that the IRS disagrees with or you know says hey we're not going to allow that well I think they're very unfair in the amount of penalties and interest that they can attach to that because you you will not only pay back that that you wrote off but you will at least double that amount and
[speaker002:] oh by the time you get through with the uh
[speaker001:] yes and that's to me there's something wrong there you know
[speaker002:] the penalties
[speaker001:] yeah I mean I can see paying the interest and some small penalty but they really stick it to you big time
[speaker002:] uh I agree I think the IRS is uh just too powerful there should be some sort of a control on it and they should be a little more humane
[speaker001:] um-hum absolutely
[speaker002:] uh the um well typical bureaucratic I guess uh that's that's one of my pet peeves I came up with a brilliant idea how we could reduce the uh the budget
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] very simple give uh uh uh government employees the average number of of uh holidays as the uh uh the private industry
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] I mean you think about it now they they get about sixteen holidays a year
[speaker001:] that's a lot
[speaker002:] it sure is and I think here at TI we get what is it nine or ten
[speaker001:] well I haven't counted I I would have guessed eight even but you might be right I don't have any idea
[speaker002:] well I remember uh thinking I think it was the last time I did hear that we get about the average maybe even a little more a day or so more than the average
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] but uh government is ridiculous
[speaker001:] wow
[speaker002:] just think of the money they could save I mean they're they're paying out this money anyway
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] why not get the work out of the people
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] and well anyway that would of course eventually come back to taxes but uh as far as income tax is concerned I can't complain too much about it um I'm single I have no uh dependents or anything my children are all grown and they're out worrying about their own income taxes
[speaker001:] yeah well I I have another thing that I thought about too um for instance when you try to save money and you earn interest on whatever your investment is and you know we're not typically talking about big dollars but here you feel like you've you've done something good you've you've earned your interest and then you have to go back and pay taxes on it so the real amount of your savings on that is is not much
[speaker002:] um very true that's
[speaker001:] you know it's kind of a vicious circle there
[speaker002:] and then they tell you to uh well invest it in uh is it IRA's or something and and when
[speaker001:] and then they took that away as far as
[speaker002:] when you turn
[speaker001:] being
[speaker002:] when you turn sixty five why then you pay the tax on it and the tax is a lot less
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] but in the mean time you used used them you've got your money tide up in a low relatively low interest uh bearing investment I mean it's not making ten fifteen percent like a business is today
[speaker001:] huh-uh
[speaker002:] um me I'm a firm believer in that if you got it spend it
[speaker001:] well you can come over to my house and spend it
[speaker002:] well you
[speaker001:] I wish I had some to spend
[speaker002:] well do you do you need some help spending yours
[speaker001:] no no I don't I just don't have any
[speaker002:] oh oh uh-huh well that's my problem too I'm I'm trying to figure out from one payday to the next whose going to be the lucky one this month that's going to get paid
[speaker001:] yeah that's the way it goes well I guess we probably talked just about long enough
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] uh let me ask you something did you get a catalog or something from these people yet
[speaker001:] yes
[speaker002:] you did
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] I've everybody I've talked to has received one and I haven't gotten mine
[speaker001:] I don't know
[speaker002:] um well anyway Ellen it was nice talking to you
[speaker001:] you too
[speaker002:] and uh until next time
[speaker001:] okay good-bye
[speaker002:] bye-bye