This April Fool’s day, near to the nation’s tax filing deadline, is a fitting time to reflect upon the nature of our country’s tax system. Founded without an income tax, the United States adopted a limited one in the early 20th century. The system slowly expanded until the Second World War brought tax withholding from employee paychecks and the national budget has never looked back, exploding in size and scope over the decades since the war.

Having completed my own taxes this year, the question arises once again: Why do we tolerate this tangle of forms and the bloated government that spawned it? Do Americans feel they are getting something for their money? After tabulating the thousands of dollars sent to the U.S. Treasury over the past year, and adding a bit more to it, I reflected on the services I receive for my tax dollar. Add state and local taxes and what does all that wealth buy us every year?

Recent news coverage demonstrates that we are receiving a faulty product on the most basic function of government, securing the borders. Driving down the street it is obvious that maintenance of roadways is either ignored, or when it is done, goes on interminably. Social spending, that great consumer of tax dollars, only grows ever larger while providing little benefit to those who feed it. Education systems are generally atrocious, with many thousands spent annually per student with increasingly ignorant graduates handed their diplomas.

Sadly, while most Americans instinctively recognize the bloated, inefficient nature of government while waiting in line for hours to renew their driver’s licenses, there is often a disconnect when making the leap to larger issues. This passivity in the face of the growth of government has allowed the bureaucracy to take on a life and existence of its own, almost beyond the reach of the populace. As you send off your tax return this year ask yourself: Are you getting your money’s worth? What will you do about the answer?

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If you are planning to work in your yard this weekend (or any coming weekend) you might want to read this:

If you use mulch around your house be very careful about buying mulch this year. After the hurricane in New Orleans many trees were blown over. These trees were then turned into mulch and the state is trying to get rid of tons and tons of this mulch to any state or company who will come and haul it away. So it will be showing up in Home Depot and Lowes at dirt cheap prices with one huge problem; Formosan Termites will be the bonus in many of those bags. New Orleans is one of the few areas in the country were the Formosan Termites has gotten a strong hold and most of the trees blown down were already badly infested with those termites. Now we may have the worst case of transporting a problem to all parts of the country that we have ever had. These termites can eat a house in no time at all and we have no good control against them, so tell your friends that own homes to avoid cheap mulch and know were it came from.

Read the rest here. It will give you pointers on how to avoid this menace.

It’s April 1 already and Katrina is still the gift that keeps giving.