Cafe' Americana!

[BrianG]

Forget Beer and cookies. How about the cost of a good heart? . . . That would be around $40,000.

I met up with an acquaintance of mine today who works as an accountant in a Working class neighborhood that is close to being a Poor neighborhood. He prepares tax returns. Turns out that this year, the Federal government requires that all professional tax preparers file returns for clients online only. It's not a requirement just yet on the state level, but New York would strongly prefer it be done that way. How strongly? . . . He got hit with a penalty of nearly $40,000 for filing state returns on paper, from last year!

Here's the thing, when a return is filed online; it costs more. I didn't ask him for details, but apparently that is the case. And, it's that way with each and every single client. Instead of charging about $80 in total to have Federal and State returns done, he's now forced to charge $150 to make even a small profit during tax time. Added to that is the fact that even though he's a successful accountant, it's actually more confusing (according to him) filing certain pieces of information, in order to get certain deductions for those clients entitled to them. Told me how he had to delete, and nearly start over, for one client who could claim a deduction for tuition.

So, there you have it. Experienced, successful, accountant trying to give the working class and poor residents of a neighborhood a break. He knows they could definitely use one. What's his reward for trying to help them? . . . State of New York says he should have gouged them for as much money as possible! Hit him with a major penalty for not doing so. Welcome to New York. If you're not a greedy bastard, you better become one before you get punished for doing a good deed.

He's fighting the penalty in court. I hope he wins.

I worked for the Govt. (last day today) and I know that some colleagues couldn't give a rodents rectum about the end result of their actions, as long as all the boxes are ticked!!! But hey their going places.

[monark]

this is me in 1973 on my new/used 1969 electra glide "police special," which i bought at the old san diego harley davidson on india street. i was in the u.s. navy from '70 - '74. i was a boiler technician all four years on the u.s.s. blue ridge lcc-19. the picture was taken while visiting my brother at north island naval air station. my previous bike was a 1971 kawasaki mach three which i traded in for the "electra glide." the harley is long gone. now i have a '06 vespa 250 gts. i also have two prewar bicycles: 1936 monark silver king boys m1 deluxe and a 1937 monark silver king flo-cycle.

[BrianG]

Hope she went to a good home. And check what's lurking in the background - - - weren't the 70's brilliant, man i'm glad i was born when I was.