Spring Has Arrived!

Spring Has Arrived!

Folks it’s spring and its time to get out the flip-flops put in a Jimmy Buffet tune! Wait its 5 degrees and 4 feet of snow on the lever! Rats! Never mind the flip-flops and the sun block. But we did have a wonderful day above the house sledding the first day of spring in the Beartooth’s. I’m waiting for the Humpies to come out. It’s time to lock the doors and put the bear proof garbage container in the garage. Last year those old grizzles came out by now. Wondering up and down my road looking for a meal. But we have 3 times the snow and it’s still pretty much winter. All the game left to lower country with the wolves in tow. Not like last year with wintering deer, elk, and moose around the place. Speaking of snow a D6 Cat was brought in to push the snow banks back on the road to my place. With some much snow like 100 inches up on top above the house we have the best sledding in 5 years! So I have been doing a lot of sledding this past month. Got to get back to writing my mule deer book but not until the snow leaves! That’s Mike’s update at the head of Squaw Creek in the Beartooth Mountains Wyoming .

70% in Taxes – Outrageous!

Taxes running amuck! I pay my phone bill on line. The other day I downloaded my bill and reviewed all the charges. The phone bill was $69.00, which isn’t that much, I guess. However, I’m on a fixed income, you know. Breaking down the bill, I have a local phone line charge, plus long distance service charges for a total of $29.00. Then at .05 cent a minute charge for long distance minutes added up to $11.80. As you can see, I don’t do much phone chatting. Now add that up and you get $40.80 total phone charges. So here’s the question. What is the addition $28.20 setting on my bill? I call Qwest and they explained in a nice way, it’s all federal and state taxes!

So let me walk thru this swamp of over taxation. For this exercise, lets assume Mike is in the 30% tax bracket. So right off the top, I have to earn $89.70 just to be able to pay the $69.00 phone bill. Why, because the IRS takes 30% right off the top. Then the Knuckle Heads in Washington, and my state, added on 40.8% in taxes and fees to the phone bill! Then from my income tax bracket I add my $20.70 income tax to the phone tax and it comes to a whopping $48.70. A 70% tax just to use my phone! This is my cowboy math which mite not be the most accurate. But at any rate I will be letting my Congressman know what I think of 70% taxation! How abut your phone bill? Check it out.  Good Luck shed hunting and have a great spring! Mike Eastman