The Wine Commonsewer

City of the Angels Not Bound By Ruling (Only Taxpayers Are)

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

This kind of stuff may seem especially egregious to you, Gentle Reader, but it is really just the Soup de Jour for most government bureaucracies.

Everything was fine until the city started running out of money in 2007. Suddenly, the city announced that it was going to ignore its own ruling and reclassify us in the higher tax category. Even more incredible is the fact that the new classification was to be imposed retroactively to 2004 with interest and penalties. No explanation was given for the new classification, or for the city's decision to ignore its 1994 ruling.

Their official position is that the city is not bound by past rulings -- only taxpayers are. (emphasis TWC's) This is why we have been forced to file a lawsuit. We will let the courts decide whether it is legal for adverse rulings to apply only to taxpayers and not to the city.

And when LA wins, they lose, because Creator's Syndicate will leave town, taking their jobs, revenue, and tax base with them.

Money quote.....

As long as City Hall operates like a banana republic, why is anyone surprised that jobs have left the city in droves and Los Angeles is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy?

Whole thing here at WSJ.com

As Ever,

TWC

Tip of the glass to Steven D

30 Days Late Means An 82% Penalty

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

My mother-in-law is among the working poor and as a consequence she couldn't quite manage the smog fee and the registration fee for the ten year old car we gave her.

Registration due by April 2, 2009:  $  88.00
Registration due now:                   $161.00

The penalty is $73.00.

There's an incentive to get your car legal.

Meanwhile the folks who gave us that law are chauffeured around Sacramento in SUV's and Lincolns. No problem paying the registration renewal because there isn't one.

Welcome to California.

As Ever,

TWC

The Eco-Friendly Franchise Tax Board

Gentle Readers,

Californicate is so desperate for cash that the state is relentlessly hammering on dead horses with dead trees.

We have not received your entity's Form 199.....You must take one of the following actions within thirty days.....If you do not respond to this notice.....

It's actually pretty annoying that the state drones are wasting paper, postage, and man hours to demand three years of Exempt Organization Annual Information Returns* from organizations that were dissolved years to decades ago.

The state knows that the dunned organizations have been dissolved because that information is readily available from the Secretary of State. But looking it up would require effort. The state also knows that because of the relative small size of these organizations, that even if the organization still exists it isn't likely to have a filing requirement.

But it might, and that would mean penalties and interest. Consequently, blizzards of useless paperwork emanate from Sacramento only to end up in my fax machine, followed closely by tense voices at the other end of my telephone. You see, ordinary Californians get a bit of a wrench in the gut any time they see the return address on an envelope from the Franchise Tax Board.

As Ever,

TWC

*An Exempt Organization is the entity that is set up to handle your 401(k) or other retirement program. Generally, there must be more than $30,000.00 in earnings  (dividends, cap gains, interest) per year in order to trigger a filing requirement. The rule is in place so that the guy with the 1400 square foot machine shop  and a two person retirement plan doesn't have to deal with the annual paperwork burden that is required of larger companies with scores of employees.

Mrs TWC's Email From the President of the United States of America

From: President Barack Obama [mailto:info@barackobama.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 5:33 PM
To: Lisa Snell
Subject: A big first step-- thank you

Lisa --

Today, I signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law.

This is a historic step -- the first of many as we work together to climb out of this crisis -- and I want to thank you for your resolve and your support.

You organized thousands of house meetings. You shared your ideas and personal stories. And you informed your friends and neighbors about the need for immediate action. You continue to be a powerful voice for change throughout the country.

The recovery plan will create or save 3.5 million jobs, provide tax cuts for working and middle-class families, and invest in health care and clean energy.

It's a bold plan to address a huge problem, and it will require my vigilance and yours to make sure it's done right.

I've assigned a team of managers to oversee the implementation of the recovery act. We are committed to making sure no dollar is wasted. But accountability begins with you.

That's why my administration has created Recovery.gov, a new website where citizens can track every dollar spent and every job created. We'll invite you and your neighbors to weigh in with comments and questions.

Our progress will also be measured by the tens of thousands of personal stories submitted by people who are struggling to make ends meet. If you haven't already, you can read stories from families all across the country:

http://my.barackobama.com/yourstories

Your stories are the heart of this recovery plan, and that's what I'll focus on every day as President.

With your continued support, we'll emerge a stronger and more prosperous nation.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

UPDATE & DISCLAIMER: I've already received many emails questioning  the meaning of this posted email. I should have clarified it but assumed it would be understood.

Mrs TWC received this email unsolicited. My assumption is that she is on the email list because she works in public policy and that the President is peddling influence. Mrs TWC did not vote for the president and did not participate in the promotion of the president's misguided policy of throwing another trillion dollars at a problem that was largely created by government policy.

TWC didn't get an email.

All The Leaves Are Brown, But The Sky Ain't Gray

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Harford Springs was once a working cattle ranch. Now it's a county wilderness park. Several hundred acres of land, as it was, open to hikers and horses. No OHV's, thank God for small favors. Took the kids for a three hour hike a couple of weeks ago on a chilly Sunday morning. Took a nap Sunday afternoon.

The county doesn't care for it like they should and seriously bungled by paving a road through the most beautiful part of it, violating the terms of the gift. Now the trust is threatening to revoke the deed, a condition of which was, no roads. Duh.

The solution? Force a developer with no connection to the road or the park to move the road as a condition of granting a permit to develop the plateau  where the orange trees used to grow. Of course, that's a moot point in today's market. After seven years of running the permit process gauntlet, the market has turned and there'll not be any development. I guess they call that slow growth.

The lesson here is don't give stuff to the government.  The Nature Conservancy woulda been a better bet.  

More pictures here.

Bonus.

As Ever,

TWC

Should The US Shut Down The Money Hole?

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

With the economy sliding deeper into a recession, panelists discuss whether it's time to stop throwing our money into a massive pit out in the desert.

Can't see the news clip? Look here.

As Ever,

TWC

Tip of the glass to Chris C

Help California Reduce Costs

Good Evening Gentle Readers,

After several days of no internet I'm happy to say that we're back on the air.

Got my state tax refund today. I know, I know, the cobbler's kids go barefoot and the tax guy files his return the day the extension runs out (and all that). For those of you who went to school in California, a cobbler is an old timey shoemaker. Or if it's my family, a Shuemaker. Except Old Man Shuemaker (see photo) was a printer. Musta been an actual Shuemaker in the wood pile somewhere. 

The check came with a little note, exactly the same size as the check, imploring yours truly to file electronically next time and have the refund direct deposited. Ahh, the security of knowing that the state has your checking account number stored in its digital archives. All the better to inadvertantly levy your bank account when that other Mike Snell doesn't ante up.

This bit of green thought comes courtesy of a state that requires taxpayers to prepare a complete state tax return, which is made ever more difficult because Ca don't conform to federal law on so many issues. All done, Pilgrim? Then please attach an entire copy of your federal return. Thankee Muchacho.

Wonder how many check-size pieces of paper were mailed at taxpayer expense to go along with all that extra paper that you mailed in last April.

Shaddup Old Man, if you'd just e-file the dang thing.....

As Ever,

TWC

Do Not Deliver To An Intoxicated Person

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

TWC is a fortunate soul in that I am in the prayers and thoughts of many lovely people, including the Fairy Godmother of Wine. I am the beneficiary of the kindness and generosity of many and to that end, care packages occasionally arrive at my door. Often enough that the UPS guy is jealous. 

What is up with that stupid label? 

What? We've been partying down for days and it's a good thing we ordered the wine last week and, whoa, look at the timing! The kegger of Bud Lite is too pooped to pop, and Boy Howdy, there's Big Brown with a case of that fifty buck a bottle red wine. Just in the nic-o-tine! 

Who writes this stuff? MADD? 

Guess I should be grateful we can ship wine into California at all.

As Ever,

TWC

Working Overtime At DMV The Felons Were Faster

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Over the weekend I received this email from DebbX2:

I ordered custom (vanity) plates for my car. I have been waiting 3 months. 

I called the (California) DMV and finally got a live person to answer the phone. (the trick is never to push a button; act like you still have a dial phone)

I asked the DMV employee when I would be receiving my custom plates; it has been over 3 months.

His answer: It now takes over 4 months because the budget was not passed and we could not work overtime... 

Does that mean they needed to work overtime to process a plate? I don't know.. Can you imagine saying that to one of your customers?

This goes to the bond issues discussed in the previous post. Tell me again why we need to spend more money when we have government agencies that can't make license plates without working over time? 

Maybe we should give that job back to prison inmates. Time is one thing they've got plenty of.

As Ever,

 

Dead People Vote AND File Tax Returns

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

The letter from IRS is addressed to:

John Q Decd Taxpayer

For the record, Decd means Deceased. For those of you who cannot find Iraq on a map, with both hands, Deceased means Dead.

This is a demand letter requesting Mr Taxpayer to file a personal tax return for 2006. One minor glitch; John Q Taxpayer died on Christmas Eve of 2005. A fact that was pointed out on the 2005 tax return that John Q's widow filed.

In addition, IRS knows that John Q is fertilizing pine trees at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, otherwise the letter would not be addressed to John Q Deceased Taxpayer.

Your tax dollars at work, here and abroad.

Yes I know that dead people can actually file tax returns, they just can't sign them. It was a rhetorical device.

As Ever,

TWC