PUBLIC FORUM; I FILED EARLY.I filed early this year because I knew my estimated payments were close and I would not owe much or have much of a refund. Yesterday I received a notice from the IRS An abbreviation for the Internal Revenue Service, a federal agency charged with the responsibility of administering and enforcing internal revenue laws. . It stated ``Overpayment o·ver·pay v. o·ver·paid , o·ver·pay·ing, o·ver·pays v.tr. 1. To pay (a party) too much. 2. To pay an amount in excess of (a sum due). v.intr. To pay too much. of taxes - $8. Penalty - $58. Amount you owe - $50.'' The explanation given was ``We charged you a penalty because, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. our records, you didn't estimate your tax and pay the correct amount of tax due.'' Wonder how much I would have been penalized pe·nal·ize tr.v. pe·nal·ized, pe·nal·iz·ing, pe·nal·iz·es 1. To subject to a penalty, especially for infringement of a law or official regulation. See Synonyms at punish. 2. if I had underpaid my taxes. Is this a great country or what? - Robert Cranor Panorama City TAXES UNFAIR Taxes! It seems to me that our tax system is totally unfair to the average citizen. It is unbalanced, to say the least. Why not emulate how big business shows its profits? They pay taxes on those profits only. So, what does it take for a family to live on? For example: Let's say a family earns $75,000 a year. A financial statement would show all of their expenses - food, insurance, mortgage, clothing, schooling, etc. Deduct that from the total amount of their income. If there is a profit of $20,000, then that's what they should be taxed on. Finally, it would be a fair tax to all . . . the poor, middle class and rich, unless the rich are heavier eaters than the others! - Earl D. Horwitz North Hills AN ABOMINATION The income tax must be abolished - it is an abomination, it has given the government power to intrude into all aspects of our lives. It bleeds us every payday and culminates with the annual wage-rape on April 15. I would prefer an impersonal federal sales tax sales tax, levy on the sale of goods or services, generally calculated as a percentage of the selling price, and sometimes called a purchase tax. It is usually collected in the form of an extra charge by the retailer, who remits the tax to the government. to the intrusive income tax. However, neither tax is needed to provide constitutionally mandated government functions. Libertarian Party The Libertarian party was founded in Colorado in 1971 and held its first convention in Denver in 1972. In 1972 it fielded John Hospers for president and Theodora Nathan for vice president in the U.S. general election. presidential candidate Harry Browne Harry Browne (17 June 1933 – 1 March 2006) was an American libertarian writer, politician, and free-market investment analyst. He was a U.S. Presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party in 1996 and 2000. (www.Browne2000.org) asks, ``Would you be willing to give up your favorite federal programs if it meant you and your children would never have to pay income tax again?'' Yes, yes, yes! - Ernst F. Ghermann Winnetka THEY WASTE IT Re ``Cheating everyone'' (Editorial, April 16): First of all, let me state that I don't consider trying to keep your hard-earned money to be ``cheating.'' That money belongs to the one who earns it, not to the government. Secondly, I do believe that we have to obey the law, and that law says that we have to pay taxes. However, I would not be in too much of a hurry to take money away from the earners to give to the politicians. Haven't we learned already that all they do with it is take it for their own use or otherwise waste it? Perhaps if the taxes were fair, especially business taxes, and politicians did not squander squan·der tr.v. squan·dered, squan·der·ing, squan·ders 1. To spend wastefully or extravagantly; dissipate. See Synonyms at waste. 2. them, then more people would pay them gladly. - Gilbert Garcia Granada Hills THEY KEEP TRYING Now let me see if I have this straight: President Clinton foolishly got involved in a situation which, in the main, harmed no one but his family and Monica Lewinsky's family . . . and it was elevated to an impeachment impeachment, formal accusation issued by a legislature against a public official charged with crime or other serious misconduct. In a looser sense the term is sometimes applied also to the trial by the legislature that may follow. and trial. For several months, Elian Gonzalez's Miami family has defied the courts and the INS INS abbr. 1. Immigration and Naturalization Service 2. International News Service Noun 1. INS , and shown total disrespect for the laws of their adopted country. But now the congressional Republican power structure is making that family out to be heroes. And, they are calling for an investigation into Clinton's handling of the whole affair. I guess if you can't get the president one way, you just keep trying to find another way. - David M. Galfond Palmdale A NEW SLANT In light of recent news events, may I offer a new slant on an old phrase: ``When guns are outlawed, only federal agents in your home will have guns.'' - Mike Phillips Mike Phillips may refer to
North Hollywood SHAMEFUL Shame on President Clinton. Shame on Janet Reno Janet Reno (born July 21, 1938) was the first and to date only female Attorney General of the United States (1993–2001). She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11. . What shame our government has brought upon our country's great name. The guerrilla tactics used by our government to capture that infamous criminal - 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez - reminds me of methods that would be used in a country such as - say - Cuba. - Frankie Sims Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. LOOK AT THE PICTURE What's in a photograph? I don't mean that one, the one showing the INS agent with the submachine gun and crying Elian. I mean the one with smiling Elian reunited with his dad. That's the photograph that counts because of the way Elian Gonzalez's Miami relatives interpreted it. Their response clearly shows that Elian has spent weeks in the hands of lunatics. There was a hysterical Marisleysis Gonzalez comparing Elian's haircuts in two pictures, arguing that the picture of Elian with his dad was somehow fake. That wasn't the real Elian, she said. That was some kind of alien Elian. And there are those who say this poor, deluded woman should be Elian's caretaker? - Larry Mazur Jr. West Hills ENOUGH ALREADY Enough is enough. It is Easter Sunday and after a beautiful morning at church and a relaxing brunch, I sit down to read the paper and relax. Why must the headline story include a large photo of a special agent with a rifle drawn? Did a lucky photographer just happen to show up to snap the shot? Or was it simply another case of shock-value news? It was Easter Sunday for goodness sakes. Poor judgment call. Why not highlight the reunion photo and save the other for an inside page? I'm not overly religious, or overly conservative . . . but really. - Rebecca Dobar Burbank EVERYONE KNEW Re the growing LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. scandal: What concerns me most about this disgusting situation with our Police Department is the fact that every day, more convicted felons are being released from prison because of tainted testimony by crooked cops. At last count, the number of felons being released to prey on To take prey from; to despoil; to pillage; to rob To seize as prey; to take for food by violence; to seize and devour. - Shak. To wear away gradually; to cause to waste or pine away; as, the trouble preyed upon his mind s>. - Shak. See also: Prey Prey Prey innocent citizens was 70, therefore our Police Department, instead of ``Protecting and Serving,'' has put the citizens of Los Angeles in more peril than ever. These people are not being released from prison because they are innocent, but because their convictions can no longer be upheld due to police perjury perjury (pûr`jərē), in criminal law, the act of willfully and knowingly stating a falsehood under oath or under affirmation in judicial or administrative proceedings. or, as attorney Alan Dershowitz so accurately put it a few years ago, ``testilying.'' Obviously, this situation could not have flourished for so many years without the full knowledge, consent, and cooperation from the countless police officers involved, including supervisors, sergeants and chiefs, to our ever-smiling, highly-paid, but apathetic ap·a·thet·ic adj. Lacking interest or concern; indifferent. ap  a·thet D.A. Gil Garcetti.
- Tony Nathanson Encino DON'T THINK ABOUT IT Re ``Tapping toilet water'' (April 16): Why are you all so concerned about drinking filtered water? The purified water you drank today has probably contained the bodies of dead creatures, reptiles and fish, sweat, urine, acid rain, motor oil, gasoline, rusty cans, and fishing worms, suntan lotion, fecal matter, boat paints, and a long list of disgusting things that fell or were thrown into our reservoirs. You never knew or thought about them until right now. No one is so naive that they really believe new water is reinvented daily, are they? Filters and chemicals take care of it all. Relax, don't think . . . drink. - Ron Hall Sun Valley DOWNTOWN PARTY My Department of Water and Power bill came today. Water and electricity plus 50 percent for the city. In the envelope was an announcement of the annual party for Downtown L.A., as they put it. It appears the DWP DWP Department of Work and Pensions (UK) DWP Drinking Water Program DWP Dynamic Weapon Pricing (gamin, Counter-Strike: Source) DWP Department of Water & Power DWP Drinking Water Protection thinks I should be happy that, for the 20th year, they are spending part of my utility payment on a big party 30-some miles from here. Such arrogance. Los Angeles city governors and departments continue to demonstrate their purpose in life is to take money from every corner of the county and spend it within a short walk of their downtown office. San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. secession looks better every day. - Robert Aukerman Tarzana GOOD LUCK I guess I've read too many articles on Earth Day and veterans lately, so when I read the item in News Lite (April 22) about Batgirl's vegan diet vegan diet (vē´g  n),n the strictest form of vegetarian diet, which prohibits the consumption of all animal products, including , I was startled star·tle v. star·tled, star·tling, star·tles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. to see the name of Alicia Silverstone instead of Yvonne Craig, who played the role in the 1967 TV series. Sometimes our eyes see what is not there. But I am even more skeptical at her optimistic prediction, ``I'll never have to worry about my weight again.'' At 23, I was about 165, By 26, I was 188 and over the years I yo-yoed to 162, 190, 170, 200, 185, 220, 195, 195, 200 and now hover between 191 and 199. I don't think I am atypical. I wish Silverstone luck. - Richard Rofman Van Nuys |
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