The Increasing Cost of Insurance and Taxes in Independence, Kansas

As of our last renewal date, our insurance increased. This concerns me because prior we had a really great friend who worked for the insurance company that we deal with. Now that she is no longer working there, she is unable to help us specifically with the higher cost of our home and auto rates.

And while the owner is still there, it is often difficult to work with him because he doesn't always understand what we need no matter how clear we make it. So I'm wondering if we'll need to look elsewhere for cheap auto insurance in the near future.

I think the reason the insurance has gone up is because this city and county continues to raise taxes. We learned not too long ago that it is cheaper to live in northern Kansas or northern Oklahoma than to live here.

In northern Oklahoma a friend of my husband's is paying $284 a year in taxes on a $100,000 home and $44 a year for taxes on a 2000 vehicle! That's insane compared to the $1220 a year we pay on our $60,000 home and $56 a year in taxes on the hubby's 1979 vehicle!!!

Government's Possible Greed Over a Fan's Baseball Catch!

I already know that our government is greedy when it comes to money, but since when do they charge a man $210,000 for catching a baseball!!! Yep, the good old IRS is at it again! The IRS wants to tax a lucky fan - Matt Murphy, for catching a baseball recently hit by Barry Bonds in his 756th home run. The 756th means Barry Bonds has now passed Hank Aaron's record of 755 in 1976. Because the baseball could be worth over $500,000 dollars, the IRS may very well ask Matt Murphy to fork over $210,000 if he wants to keep that baseball! That's pretty ridiculous if you ask me.

Now if Matt Murphy were to hand that baseball back to Barry Bonds, he might just avoid those taxes. That's if he hands that baseball back immediately. So what it sounds like to me is our lovely government could quite possibly take the fun out of baseball. Pretty damn sad.

Now if Matt Murphy had plans to make some money off of that baseball, I can see where the IRS has a say so in taxes. But keeping it as a souvenir? Come on, where's your heart at? It all boils down to money. Always has always will. Without it, the US would be at war with itself. Not that we already aren't.