Don't Mess With Taxes

Everyone is entitled to his or her opinions. But some points of view, especially when it comes to politically-tinged issues, are mind boggling.

Take the Fox News segment that in arguing for elimination of tax breaks for the poor cited Department of Energy data listing the modern conveniences that members of this lower-paid demographic own.

Among the ostensibly unnecessary items were cell phones, air conditioning, cable television service, microwaves, dishwashers and, topping the list, refrigerators.

That piece was included in a segment last week by Jon Stewart. It starts at the four-minute mark of the Comedy Central's The Daily Show video:

Really? That's what you stoop to? Do you guys even listen to what you're saying?

I'll give you the cell phones (although cheap phones and plans are plentiful and everyone should have some sort of telephonic connectivity), cable TV and even some of the appliances.

But as someone living through the hottest summer in Texas history, having an air conditioner is not a luxury, it's a necessity.

And a refrigerator definitely is a requirement, unless a person doesn't plan to eat.

As for those questionable 'fridges and air conditioners and most likely the dishwasher, too, I'm willing to bet my own appliances that they came with the apartment that the poorer resident rents.

So c'mon guys. Be outraged if you must that a family of four making less than $22,350 a year (the U.S. Census earning limit to qualify as poor) isn't living in a hovel and is getting some tax breaks for which you make too much money to qualify.

But don't do things as patently absurd as bitching about them having refrigerators in their homes.

You also might find these of interest:

• Warren Buffett's higher tax crusade
• The political spending chasm
• Democrats support tax fraud and waste;
  Republicans hate middle-class workers