Rod Grams: “there are 365 days in each calendar year, but I can think of no other date that the American people await with such…”

“there are 365 days in each calendar year, but I can think of no other date that the American people await with such universal dread as April 15, tax day. However, there is one other date working Americans should look upon with equal disdain, and that is the date that says a great deal about the Federal, State, and local tax burden working families are expected to bear. That date is May 9, this year's tax freedom day. As it does every year, the Tax Foundation has calculated the date the average American stops working just to pay their share of the tax burden and begins working for themselves. This year, tax freedom day falls on May 9. And while the use of the word ``freedom'' in tax freedom day implies something to celebrate, working Americans have absolutely nothing to celebrate when it comes to their taxes. Tax freedom day falls a full day later this year than it did in 1996, meaning taxpayers must work 128 days before they can count a single penny of their salary as their own. Of those days, 44 will be spent paying personal income taxes; 38 days will be spent paying payroll taxes; sales and excise taxes, 18 days; property taxes, 12 days; corporate income taxes, 13 days; also 3 days will be spent paying miscellaneous taxes. When you total all that up, that is 128 days, Mr. President, 128 days in which the American people spend imprisoned by their own tax system.”