These days, federal budget not the only taxing matter

I have a very taxing situation at my house. The weather has been overrated and understated. March brought us some of the most confusing weather ever experienced.

Now that we’re nearly halfway into the month of April, I fully expect them to not give us anymore prophesies for snow. My late mother-in-law always said the weather people prophesied not predicted the weather.

My brain is tired. This body that houses my being is confused. It doesn’t know whether to break out in goosebumps or a sweat. And, this seems to be the case in many parts of the country. My daughter called from Texas to say it was in the 90s and climbing higher every month with more wind and rain than normal. Weather worries me. I keep telling myself that I don’t have any clothes to wear. The reality is, I don’t know which clothes to wear: winter, spring or summer.

It’s enough to tax a person’s brain. There’s that word again, tax. I’m not generally a procrastinator, but when it comes to paying taxes, I tend to wait until the last minute.

I was talking to my aunt the other day about paying her taxes. She informed me she doesn’t have to pay taxes anymore. I suppose age has its advantages. I’m not sure her information is quite correct, so hopefully her son will be looking into the matter for her around April 14. No need to rush.

The idea of paying taxes early doesn’t make sense to me. Why should the government make more money off of my meager portion? We keep hearing rhetoric from both sides in Washington about taxes with representation and that really worries me. I’m not sure just who is representing me in Washington these days. The senators and so-called representatives seem to be asserting their own agendas and not representing their constituents very well. They seem to be like the weather, overrated and understated. I think they have forgotten how the food chain works. You know, we elect them to work for us. Seems they want us to work for themselves while they pursue their own interests. It’s hard to get any one of them to listen to us.

Each of us should be alarmed when we consider how our tax dollars are spent. The budget for this year worries me. It looks worse than my budget could possibly look. This year’s chart shows that certain allocations are down considerably from last year and no one seems to know where the remainder of the budget is — up, down or average. It seems to enrich the corporations but offers next to nothing for health care, medical research or education. What does this say about us as a nation? The voters in America spoke loud and clear after the last election saying it’s time for change in the country. Yet here we are still nipping at the heels of our politicians hoping they will eventually get the message.

Do you want to know where your tax dollars are spent? If you want to know, you can look it up on the web. Just go to bipartisanpolicy.org for all the news, policies and tax information. It will amaze you. Weather, taxes and budgets are all worrisome.

I suppose we all have to face the music, so if you are missing the deadline, be sure you file an extension, or Uncle Sam will come knocking at your door. And as a friend said to me, “Don’t let the worry bird build a nest in your hair.”