Wednesday 5/12

Thrifty

Below is a conversation from one of my favorite movies.  In this scene, an IRS agent is auditing the owner of a sweets bakery:

Harold Crick:   It says, in the file, that you only paid for part of your taxes for last year.

Ana Pascal:      That’s right.

Harold Crick:   Looks like only 78 percent.

Ana Pascal:      Yep.

Harold Crick:   So you did it on purpose?

Ana Pascal:      Yep.

Harold Crick:   So you must’ve been expecting an audit.

Ana Pascal:      Um, I was expecting a fine, or a sharp reprimand.

Harold Crick:   A reprimand?  This isn’t boarding school, Miss Pascal.  You stole from the government.

(Harold pesters Ana more here, but I’m trying to keep the post within reasonable length.)

Ana Pascal:      Listen, I'm a big supporter of fixing potholes and erecting swing sets and building shelters. I am *more* than happy to pay those taxes. I'm just not such a big fan of the percentage that the government uses for national defense, corporate bailouts, and campaign discretionary funds. So, I didn't pay those taxes. I think I sent a letter to that effect with my return. 

Harold Crick:   Would it be the letter that beings "Dear Imperialist Swine"? 

Well, I saw this the other day, which is what made me think of the movie in the first place:

(Yep, that’s Haltom City, Texas.)  Let’s play a little question and answer.

Could this officer arrest someone and haul them away in the back seat?  No.

Could Haltom City Police afford two patrol cars for the price of that one?  Probably.

Is this car good for anything other than chasing down speeders and looking cool?  Not likely.

Are there hundreds of better ways to spend our tax dollars (like fixing roads and building parks)?  Yes.

By: S. Cole Garrett