Income taxes first came to America 151 years ago today, when President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill levying a 3 percent tax on incomes between $600 and $10,000, and 5 percent for greater incomes. After helping finance the federal cause in the Civil War, the tax was rescinded in 1872. The income tax all of us know today dates to 1913, when the 16th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, giving Congress the power to levy such taxes. About 145 million individual income tax returns are submitted annually. For those who dislike doing their own taxes, there are nearly 112,000 tax preparation offices around the nation. These services cost nearly $7 billion a year to have our taxes prepared. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.
Sunday, June 30th. In the past, hot summer days meant that some enterprising youngsters in the neighborhood would set up a lemonade stand or the family would share a pitcher of iced tea on the front porch to cool off. In recent times, we usually resort to something in a bottle or can to slake our year-round thirsts. Today, the drink of choice is often a soft drink, usually carbonated. As a result, soft drink manufacturing is a more than $41 billion a year business. Bottled water has surged in popularity in recent years. The 319 water bottling establishments ship over $4.5 billion worth of product annually. You can find more facts about America’s people, places and economy from the American Community Survey at <www.census.gov>.
Saturday, June 29th. On this date in 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill establishing the Interstate Highway System, originally of 41,000 miles. Today, that system is America’s main street — linking all 48 continental states along it’s nearly 47,000 miles, and making it the largest highway system in the world. The original cost of the interstate system was more than $25 billion. From rural dirt roads to the interstate highways, there are 4 million miles of roads in the U.S. Building new roads and bridges involves almost 11,000 businesses in work worth more than $105 billion a year. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.
“3 percent tax on incomes between $600 and $10,000, and 5 percent for greater incomes” sounds like a fair deal in the 1870s. This year someone working for $7.50 an hour, 40 hours a week, would earn $1200 a month, so let’s figure that’s the average low wage. Wouldn’t it be great to take home 97% of that?
Now that the budgets are passed, it appears all is quiet on the western front. I would like for our elected officials to tells us their vision for Henderson and Vance County. Where would they like to take the place we call home?
I don’t think any of our county or city leaders have a clue on how to fix ‘Humpty Dumpty’. It’s just another year of the same old story, sad to say.
Mojo,
Obviously you have not kept up with the advances already coming to our hamlet. Sam found a bunch of money under someone else’s mattress that he is going to use to build His opery house. An oprey house large enough to accommodate all of last year’s fourth graders in one place at the same time. And the city has approved the construction of more government subsidized housing on the other side of the tracks from their county club supporters and hangers on. And there is that taxpayer funded $500,000 farmer’s market located inconveniently off the side of a side street, instead of a $500 carport cover in one of the empty parking lots on Raleigh Road or Norlina Road or south 39.
Isn’t that why survivalists have tents? You just never know when you’re going to have to sell off everything. Counting on anyone to provide shelter and food when you need it is a grave mistake. Unless you are in a Section 8 dwelling and get a food debit card.