Why pay your taxes?

You have probably all seen the ad on television. The one that starts with "do you owe $10,000 or more in back taxes? Then it goes on to say, "we can help you settle with the IRS for pennies on the dollar." If this is the case why should you pay your taxes (on time)? Why not wait until you owe a sufficient amount of money and then settle for pennies on the dollar? Does this not make perfect sense?

Lt. Watada's case about refusing to participate in the Iraq "war" was declared a mistrial. He quite likely will not be tried again (double jeopardy?). Although I think this is great for Lt. Watada it is not so great for our system of justice. Why? Because Watada is right and the court is wrong. The judge, faced with having to actually consider whether the "war" was legal or not, basically panicked, and rather than having to confront the problem, preferred to dismiss the case. Personally, I would like to see anyone try to argue that this "war" is legal. I would like to see anyone try to argue that Bush/Cheney/Rice/Rumsfeld/et al are not war criminals. It would be most interesting but I guess it will never happen, certainly not with a Congress that can't even pass a non-binding resolution against the "surge," and has taken impeachment off the table.

The number one news story of the day. Anna Nicole Smith died at 39. Wow! What a story! Far more important than anything happening in Iraq, Afghanistan, or elsewhere in the world. Anna Nicole Smith, ex Playmate, ex wife of a senile multimillionaire, blond bombshell who never really made it in hollywood, darling of the paparazzi, and basically a poor unfortunate nobody whose miserable life fed the drooling masses what they apparently wanted to hear about: blond hair, big tits, weight problems, drug problems, men problems, mother problems, money problems, the works. Now her five month old daughter, whose father at the moment is unknown, and who will be the only heir, and who will never have known her mother, and will be at the mercy of whoever is appointed her guardian, will no doubt grow up to be a healthy, happy, and very confused young lady. An American fairy tale. By the way, we may be going to "war" against Iran. They just don't want to do what we want them to do. Disgusting Iranians.

Republicans have decided that the size of the plane Pelosi is allowed to fly on from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco is far more important than discussing the "surge." Those Republicans! They certainly know where the priorities lie.

For years there has been a program to re-introduce wolves to the Northwest, especially Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. This program has been a resounding success and there are now many wolves doing very well. Our new Governor, Clement Leroy "Butch" Otter can't wait to kill them and says he would like to be the first one to shoot one. No doubt the really would like to shoot them all but that might not be possible as at least a few will be federally protected. Similarly, although for years there has been an argument over whether or not the dams on the Snake River should be breeched in favor of the salmon, Clement Leroy says we should build more dams. Any wonder why he was elected Governor in Idaho?

Washington D.C. is slowly discovering the idiocy and ignorance of our own Bill Sali. Here in Bonners Ferry we are thinking of printing some bumper stickers: Bill Sali for President. Unfortunately, people here might take it seriously. You can never know the anguish of having completed eight grades and still having to live with these ignorant hillbillies. Our senior Senator, Larry Craig, as far as I know, still thinks we may find WMD's in Iraq. And by the way, he doesn't like salmon, wolves, caribou, or science. That's okay, we're still trying very hard to enter the 20th century.