T&T: (no subject)

[Jim Healy]

Candy Chapman and Gary Bell "opined:"

"Who were you planning on having an INTELLIGENT conversation with, exactly?
One of the core notions of this whole tax thread is that taxes are
administered by local officials, and sooooo many of them are blockheads, or
worse.  They seem to be pleased to assess tax liability to anyone and
everyone withoug seeming to give much regard to federal or state statutes,
and particularly without any connection to common sense."



REPLY: I completely reject your premise.  Taxes are only very rarely a
negotiation; their calculation follows certain rules.  I think this thread
has been a serious attempt by those of us participating in it to understand
the rules in various jurisdictions.  One rule is that the rules vary a lot
from locale to locale, and I appreciate Mike Maurice's leadership in this
area.  I also think that the vast majority of "revenue office" employees are
very serious people who are trying to perform a very unpopular job.  I do
not view them as crooks.  I do not view them as blockheads.  The various
state legislatures may ignore each other and the feds, but local office
employees who we stand in line to deal with are simply trying to do their
jobs the best they can to apply the rules as they know them.  The point is,
as a participant in the conversation, you also have to know the rules of the
game.  But today in NC, both parties don't have the rules.  In the case of
NC, it sometimes seems like there are no rules.  But of course, we all know
that can't be true.  That's why I want them; in writing.  I can then ask
intelligent questions that help me understand my options and how the rules
apply to my situation.  Does that help, Mr. Science?



Some people think chemistry is a science.  Some think psychiatry is a
science.  And some think municipal administration is a science.  The only
difference is the context rules.



Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary,

currently at Punta Gorda, FL