Battles Rage Against Rate Hikes, New Fees, Assessments and Taxes

Everyone is screaming about their taxes going up, and since most of us don’t know how to revolt, we’re looking for leadership to guide us. We’re just fed up and won’t take it anymore!

In the meantime, I am doing what I can to counter this vicious attack on my hard-earned money. In addition to writing my representatives (that’s a funny word, “representative,” since they really don’t represent the way most middle-class workers think), I am doing the following to preserve what little money I have left after food, clothing, shelter and taxes:

* I mail all my letters through my company (and pay them for the postage). By using the company postage meter, I only pay 25 cents a letter versus the 29 cents I would pay on my own.

* I now visit the local flea market weekly and buy all my household goods and other non-food items there. The savings is about 40% or more below what stores charge and I do not have to pay sales tax.

* My employer has agreed that when I work overtime, I will be given “compensation time” instead of overtime pay. When I calculated the additional taxes I had to pay on the overtime work, it wasn’t worth it to stay late. This way, I get more days off, my boss is happy because he gets the work done and Uncle Sam doesn’t see a nickel more!

* I have notified my employer that this year I will not be contributing to the United Way. I have to take care of myself first; otherwise, I, too, might be homeless!

* Being 63 years old, I’ve moved all my money out of my name and into my children’s names so that when I need nursing care, the government can pick up the entire bill.

Illegal? Unethical? Probably. Possibly. However, what’s also illegal and unethical is the government constantly stealing my hard-earned money and calling the theft taxes. I’m fed up and won’t take it anymore!

REGINA CALDWELL, Irvine