With the recent move to digital cable, I was moved to buy a "digital box" and a fancier set of rabbit ears. This means we get more stations now - we went from two to about eight. The thing is, living in the Niagara area of Ontario, a hop, skip and wave bounce away from Buffalo, all the new stations are American. I don't object to this, in principle. But I have noticed an ad campaign that I find revolting...

"If you owe the IRS over $10,000, call our tax firm and we can arrange a settlement at a mere fraction of what you owe!"

There follows many clips of smiling happy people, declaring that they owed $24,000 and settle for $1,200. Or they owed $15,000 and settle for $1,000. They look genuinely pleased with their good business sense.

Now, I know it's a tough economy, and all, but...
THESE PEOPLE SHOULD BE HANGING THEIR HEADS IN SHAME!!!

I have no problem with doing all kinds of legal things to reduce your taxes. I have an accountant who does the same - he looks at the law, and finds the lowest possible tax I can pay. And then, I PAY IT. Not always on time. But I do pay. I pay my share, as defined by the law.

I have a hunch...
I have a hunch that the same people who gladly rip off their government for what they owe, are the same people that bitch and whine that the government is cutting funds from all their favourite programs, because the government has run out of money. I have a hunch that if everyone who OWED tax PAID tax, the government would be in a lot better shape financially.

Don't get me wrong - government does stupid things and wastes money. But, as a citizen, you can't sit back and bitch about how badly off the government is if you won't even pay in your share.

Those ads annoyed me when I first saw them, but as I've thought more about it, they actually sicken me.
If you can pay, then pay.