Ms. Janet Taylor-Birkey When it comes to doing annual income taxes, some people may feel overwhelmed by the numbers, forms and IRS regulations. Knowing that every situation is different, the legal services tax office at Cannon helps Airmen, Department of Defense employees and retirees make the best of what can often be confusing tax preparation. […]
Capital gains tax dampens risk incentive
January 11, 2006
By Walter Williams: Syndicated columnist Republican and Democratic big-government advocates whine about President Bush’s proposed tax cuts, particularly cuts in the capital gains tax. They say it’s a $70 billion giveaway to the rich. Listening to demagoguery about the rich, I’ve sometimes wished that we could find a humane way to get rid of the […]
11/20 Letters to the editor
November 19, 2005
Hospital ban should include junk food In reference to the smoking ban on hospital property: I understand that certain foods and snacks are also unhealthy. The policy should be expanded to include an employee or patient who wants a salty snack, hot dog or doughnut. They should first be offered an appetite suppressant. If this […]
Sooner or later, we pay for government
September 24, 2005
Steve Chapman For those Americans who hate sending money to the Internal Revenue Service, here’s the good news: President Bush says he is not going to raise taxes to pay for the costs of Hurricane Katrina. And here’s the bad news: He’s already raised them. That happened the day he signed a bill laying out […]
County projects surplus
July 26, 2005
By Marlena Hartz: CNJ staff writer Curry County Commission-ers approved an $8 million budget Monday during a special meeting at the courthouse. More than 50 percent of budget revenues are raised through property taxes, 40 percent through gross receipts taxes, and the remaining 10 percent through motor vehicle taxes and miscellaneous fees, according to County […]
Death tax unfair burden on family farms, businesses
July 21, 2005
Freedom Newspapers A new study by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released July 6 offers more reasons for getting rid of the federal estate tax, which is sometimes called the “death tax.” It’s the tax imposed on the estate of a person after death. The tax rate was as high as 55 percent of the […]
Consumption tax would mean relief
April 19, 2005
By Mona Charen “The difference between death and taxes is death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.” — Will Rogers A 2003 survey by Bankrate.com asked Americans whether they ever cheated on their taxes. Eighty-seven percent said, rather huffily, certainly not! But 13 percent said (I paraphrase), whaddya mean cheat? Well, now, 13 percent […]
Limiting taxes, government helps free society
April 16, 2005
Freedom Newspapers In mid-April of each year, anyone with more than a modest income must make a reckoning with the federal and state governments. Most of us groan about it, but how often do we contemplate why we must pay such high taxes — which for most people range from 40 percent to 50 percent […]
Last-minute filers scramble for options
April 14, 2005
By Ryn Gargulinski: CNJ staff writer Bernie Yruegas has a simple reason he waited until the last minute to do his taxes. “I just plumb forgot,” said Yruegas, whose wife called him at work and said, “taxes!” Yruegas was one of a handful of last-minute taxpayers in a back room Thursday at the Clovis-Carver Public […]
City tax numbers reflect growth
March 1, 2005
By David Irvin: CNJ staff writer Spurred by residential and commercial construction and heavy holiday retail sales, Clovis’ gross receipts taxes for February skied to an all-time high. The city received $1.45 million in receipt taxes from the state in February, eclipsing the previous high of $1.34 million returned in July of 2004, according to […]
Business feature: New year, new tax laws
January 24, 2005
By David Irvin: CNJ staff writer A new tax season often means new tax laws. This year is no exception. There are a number of changes that may assist taxpayers in filing their taxes and may qualify some for larger deductions and less taxes. IRS Spokesperson Bill Brunson said this year’s changes are just business […]
Local lawmakers head for Legislature
January 15, 2005
CNJ photo illustration: Eric Kluth By David Irvin: CNJ staff writer Sustaining the state budget will be a central topic when the New Mexico Legislature convenes for its 60-day session Tuesday. Local legislators said inflating health care costs and problems with financing Medicaid have become an increased burden to the state and its budget. The […]
Gross-receipts tax going up
December 16, 2004
Lowe’s grocery store employee Javier Madrid, 17, left, and Assistant Manager Andrew Forrest stock the shelves Wednesday at the store. (Staff photo: Eric Kluth) By Ryan Lengerich:CNJ staff writer Prepare to save a little money on groceries and pay a little more for just about everything else when New Mexico rings in the new year. […]
Federal taxes: Preserve cuts, pursue reforms
November 15, 2004
Freedom Newspapers We’re heartened that President Bush is determined to reform the nation’s complicated and maddening tax code. Since the election, he has continued to tout such reforms, such as at his Nov. 4 victory press conference. We can only encourage such moves. We believe there are two actions he should pursue. The first is […]
President Bush sank his own ship in first term
October 30, 2004
by Steve Chapman At the age of 50, I get few chances to try something entirely new. Come Tuesday, I plan to take one of those rare opportunities. I’m going to vote for a Democrat for president. I’ve never done it before, and I hope I never have to do it again. But George W. […]
Kerrys’ own tax records put his plan out of place
October 26, 2004
Freedom Editorial Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry enjoys low taxes — for his family. “According to the Kerrys’ own tax records … the couple had a combined income of $5.51 million last year and paid $704,227 in income taxes,” writes Stephen Moore, president of the Club for Growth, on Oct. 17 at OpinionJournal.com. “That means […]
Draft and taxes are unjust impositions
October 25, 2004
by Tibor Machan When I was a grad student at the University of California-Santa Barbara, the Vietnam crisis was in full force and many of us thought it was wrong for America to be there. No one was attacking us, and it isn’t the task of our military to rescue everyone around the globe. But […]
