Recent commentary: Tax Freedom Day

What special week or day of recognition would you declare?

(published 14-Feb-2005, Appleton Post-Crescent)

A very sad day for me: Tax Freedom Day. A day when I can hardly get out of bed. The day when the average American's federal and state tax obligations are fulfilled. I hate that day. My only consolation this year is that it comes a few days later: April 14th. 2004 was a terrible shock to my system. I had to give up sending money to the federal and state governments by April 11th, the earliest it's been since 1967! You'd think they could give extra money to starving artists in Greenwich Village or something. During the Clinton years Tax Freedom Day advanced from April 20th to May 2nd! A record! Then Bush got in somehow and immediately cut taxes. What good did that do? I feel like I'm letting the National Endowment for the Arts down. I say make Tax Freedom Day a national day of mourning.