Free State Wyoming Forum
Free State Wyoming (FSW) Promotional => Making the Case for Moving Toward Freedom (and Wyoming!) => Topic started by: manfromnevada on April 24, 2009, 03:02:12 PM
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Let's be straight here:
I don't like much about the government.
I don't like taxes.
I don't like Big Brother.
I don't like the Nanny State.
But I did want to put in a few words of praise for the local government officials here in Crook County. They are the nicest government employees you've ever met.
Just got off the phone with the county assessor. Very pleasant. No attitude. Listened to everything I had to say about why I thought my property tax assessment was incorrect. After listening to my story she admitted that she had made a mistake in the way the land use was defined and agreed to change it. Mission accomplished.
But likewise, the folks at the Treasurer's office are equally nice. I'm not very happy when I pay my taxes or my car registration fees, but everyone is pleasant and smiling. Same at the clerk's office. Same as the road and bridge department (they gave me some advice on how to improve my private non-county road up here). Same as the "growth and development" department. Same with the county sheriff's department and the local deputies. Also over at the DMV (although it's not really called the DMV here).
Nice folks around here in the county whether they be in the private sector or government sector. Yeah, I know, they're still running the asylum, but it sure beats where I came from where you had to take a number just to speak to some flunky who gave you nothing but a good dose of attitude.
Mac
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Ah, a smiling rapist. I guess that should make me feel better about being raped. :(
Most of them are nicer here. But they'll learn how to deal with us peasants soon enough, I'm sure.
Maybe Wayne will post something about the meeting he attended here yesterday. They have great plans for our lives, and our money.
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As I said, I'm no fan of government. Just pointing out as a "promotional" item that the individuals that work for the government here are nice, pleasant, and respectful as they go about their "duties" to take our money and run our lives.
I complain about a lot of things, but I try to acknowlege the good points in life too.
Mac
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I just don't consider any of those "the good things." Sorry. :(
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Thanks for your post, Mac.
I understand both sides, and still think it proper of you to have written of your experience.
They may be "smiling rapists" but they don't understand that they're rapists.
A cordial attitude may be the catalyst to helpful discussions.
Boston
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Yeah Mac, you're right. I have found the same to be true here in Newcastle.
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Those people are a fact of life in any state etc.
Just the fact that they "nice" is good to know.
But they still "got" us...
My last encounter with some arrogant DMV jerk nearly put me over the top, a few years ago.
He was unreal. Thats why though, the DMV people in Ca can get a CCW..if they want... Anyway that is my understanding.
Hmmm I should check that out...
But thats the one of the reasons I have AAA , here I can do all my biz through AAA that has to do with the DMV...
Dude...check yer6
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Same way in Cody.
I expect their niceness derives from these factors:
1) Most people in Wyoming are nice. If the bureaucrats are drawn from the same population, stands to reason they'd mostly be nice too.
2) Low work load. Wyoming has the 2nd highest percentage of government workers in the population. When your job is easy, it is easy to be nice.
3) Small towns. People in small towns who are jerks, well, word gets around. So there is an incentive not to be a jerk.
Last time I got a registration renewal, I made a sly comment to the effect of "Gee, I wonder what paying money for this thing does for me?" The nice lady taking my money didn't appear to understand my question. ::)
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When I went in to pay the property tax, the lady asked how she could help me. I told her I was there to pay the "rent," and she gave me a weird look. She didn't understand it at all. No clue.
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When I paid my prop tax at the Treasurer's office last week, I noticed a small pamphlet on the counter describing Wyomings "Use Tax". It went on to explain that if you bought something from out of state via personal shopping, mail order, Internet, etc that you still owed a "use tax" when the property was brought into Wyoming.
Lots of states have this "law".
It had a page where you could add up all the purchases and multiply by the rate and pay your "fair share."
I asked the woman at the counter if ANYONE had ever come and requested to pay this "use tax." She shook her head in the negative and smiled. She acted as if she thought the same of it as I did. In other states the "person behind the counter" would probably commence with a stern lecture. Not here.
BTW, in my former, former, state of residence of Kalifornia, there's actually a line item on the state income tax form telling you to itemize all such items and pay the tax at that point. Thus making nearly person in the state a criminal for signing the tax form and declaring that the above is true and correct. It would be quite easy for the state to prove that purchases were made. When we are all deemed as criminals by the state then what does that say about our government?
Mac
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When we are all deemed as criminals by the state then what does that say about our government?
It says that the government is operating within normal limits and according to its nature. ::)
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Ah, a smiling rapist. I guess that should make me feel better about being raped. :(
Most of them are nicer here. But they'll learn how to deal with us peasants soon enough, I'm sure.
Well arent you a ray of sunshine.
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When we are all deemed as criminals by the state then what does that say about our government?
If you haven't committed innumerable misdemeanors and multiple felonies by now, there is something wrong with you.
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10 commandments morphs into millions of laws
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When I got my rural land in New Mexico, I called the County Clerk to see how much the property taxes were and where to send the check. The lady was really friendly, funny, fun, etc. And pretty amused at the idea of a guy from Los Angeles owning land out there. (It's really rural. In a "town" of 15 people. Kenna, New Mexico.)
But when I asked her "What's the zoning like out there? What can I build and do on my land? What permits do I need?" She said "Zoning? Permits? Ain't none. Do whatever you want out there. If the neighbors don't like it, they'll just shoot ya."
MWD
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When I paid my prop tax at the Treasurer's office last week, I noticed a small pamphlet on the counter describing Wyomings "Use Tax". It went on to explain that if you bought something from out of state via personal shopping, mail order, Internet, etc that you still owed a "use tax" when the property was brought into Wyoming.
Its more of an issue for small businesses and larger who buy a lot of things for resale and use some of them in house.
At the level where an individual has to worry about it usually gets into a very big ticket item, or items. If you do a lot of
business on e-bay is probably the most common one. Say you buy 600 pounds of foam peanuts, and all the packing materials
to go with them from New Jersey. At that level you go and bug your local accountant, they'll give you a cheap sheet, and maybe
a quickbooks template.
Or if you smoke 4-5 packs a day, and the horseflies die when they bite you. You get the smokes from out of state, and get a few
threatening letters saying you had better pay up or else. Not wanting to go a day without your fix you decided to pay on at least
part of your consumption as a hedge in case someone gets bored and comes around. Most likely they'll run away from the stench,
but in the event they have a hasmat suit and oxygen bottles to get inside of your toxic smoke cloud, you'll be prepared to show
that you paid your fair share of extortion.