I'm the type of person who has always been proud to pay his income taxes.

[Attilatheblond]

29. Paying taxes didn't bother me before the criminal mob took control. Now, I am glad I'm poor enough to be mostly untaxed

Knew an old duffer in a very remote, small community where all but 12 people were GOP/Tea Party/Now MAGA. He was retired from running a harvesting company out of Texas. They harvested grain all fall, moving from south to north as the wheat ripened. He puttered in a little shop in this tiny town, custom fabricating items for ranchers.

Mainly, his little shop was just a hang out for other old duffers. He would work on his projects while they chattered and complained. Mostly, they grumbled about taxes. He listened til he had a belly full of their whining.

"I am PROUD that I have to pay taxes! It means I did well, made money. Made enough money that my tax 'burden' was greater than my operating expenses, which most of you fellas work hard to balance so you pay little to no taxes. I live in a great country and was given opportunities thanks to the people before me who paid taxes to build a great country. I am grateful and don't begrudge contributing to the big kettle so other people can also live and have opportunities...."

His words surprised me a bit, as I knew him to be a staunch conservative. Turns out he was a real conservative, not one of the fools who voted R out of habit or sense of family tradition. He was NOT like the others in the area, blindly following whatever the GOP talking points de jour were.

Paying taxes didn't bother me before hearing his quiet, wise words. But after hearing his words, well, my chest swelled just a bit every year when I wrote a small check to my favorite uncle, the tall one with the outlandish suit of blue coat over red and white striped pants. You know the guy, white hair, little beard, tall hat.

After hearing the old guy's comments, I became boldly vocal about reminding complainers of all the things 'tax money' provided for them personally. Would finish up with: Unless you live on your own plot of land, drink from a well you dug, eat only what you raised and wear clothes from fibers your grew, spun and wove, never go beyond your own property line, you don't go thru a single hour without benefiting from what society has provided you, from tax dollars.