Starts with K

In 1952, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (what the IRS was named at the time) apparently had one employee whose main job was to read newspapers and magazines for stories that might shed light on people dodging taxes.

That year, the “tax collector” saw a success story in the New York Times about a “boy wonder” who had amassed $15 million in his first few years out of college … and did not pay taxes.

The tax man was pleased to talk about his find, but noted, “the most helpful snitches are divorced wives.”

There are many parts of that 74-year-old story that give me pause, but the fact that one guy was reading newspapers for tax information is right at the top of my list.

I think it’s fair to say that today, stories about local government are among the least-read items in most newspapers…

…until it’s time to talk taxes.

But even then, many readers barely get past the headline and first couple of paragraphs before the frustration and confusion sets in.

Taxes are a complicated tangle of formulas and ever-changing factors, which is why I typically try to break my property tax levy stories down into the most basic of explanations.

It’s over-simplified, for sure, but it’s important to have a sense of where your money goes.

It’s also over-simplified for city or county leaders to say, “Fine! Good luck when your house is on fire or there’s a snowstorm, then,” when residents question spending.

There’s little debate that we all want police and fire protection to continue; for our roads to be plowed; for potholes to be filled; for our children to be educated; for libraries to be open.

I think the difficult part comes when we see public employees receive the annual raise that we haven’t received for years, or for the budget cuts to feel minimal when our family budgets are seemingly cleaved in half.

But chalking it all up to senseless overspending and a lack of concern about the public perception is not a fair assessment, either.

It’s easy to gripe about a cost of living adjustment, but those raises are going to people who are responsible for the quality of life we have.

I want to live in a city and county that care about taking care of their roads, their parks, their schools, their people.

I also want to live in a city and county that encourage residents to voice their concerns about rising taxes, because there need to be checks and balances.

That’s why I try to explain the black-and-white of taxes. There are as many nuances as there are taxpayers, so I avoid those, but I encourage you to ask questions.

I went to a handful of truth in taxation hearings in December – that legal requirement of local governments to explain their spending.

I did not attend the Owatonna City Council’s hearing, which I know drew dozens.

The five meetings I attended drew a total of two residents. Two.

We don’t need people reading newspapers to find tax evaders. We need people reading newspapers, so they understand where their taxes are going – and why.

No snitches needed.