Alabama Still Collects Taxes For Civil War Confederate Veterans

[bri]

http://news.yahoo.com/alabama-still-collecting-tax-confederate-vets-095645624.html







Bubble, if I were you I'd be going WTF.

 

[sth]

They love the Confederacy down there. Maybe they still collect it for the day when the south finally rises again.

 

[Kerfuffle]

We were all paying an excise tax up until about 7 years ago on our phone bills that was being used to pay for the 1898 Spanish American War. Once the war was paid for they just kept the tax in place and let the money roll in to pay for other things. Finally someone sued and it ended. If you recall there was a refund part on the Fed 1040 for that year.

 

[Kerfuffle]

Interesting tidbit I wanted to share that many don't know. Our government was paying pensions out for over a century on the Civil War to military spouses. The last widow of a Civil War veteran died in 2004 and there were a few others that passed away before her. I always found it interesting that spouses of soldiers who fought a war 140 years ago were still around. But here's how it worked:



1) Confederate soldier was young when he fought in Civil War - around age 17 or 18. They were born around 1847 and the ended in 1865.

2) Confederate soldier in his older age marries young teen girl around age 18. Soldier is in his 70s and gets married around 1920.

3) The 18 year wife now lives a long life and dies in her 90s. And that's how you end up with spouses of Civil War veterans from just a few years ago. I always found this fascinating. The reason this happened I read is because the military pension checks were really good and families struggling in the early 1900s had their young daughters marry Civil War vets for the financial support. The widowed wife was then able to collect the checks after the veteran soldier passed on.



http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-05-31-war-widow_x.htm

 

[bubbleheadchief]

http://news.yahoo.com/alabama-still-collecting-tax-confederate-vets-095645624.html







Bubble, if I were you I'd be going WTF.

Why? What should I go WTF about? I am not paying a property tax, I have not bought the house nor am I buying the house I live in right now. And even still, why should I say WTF? Whatever you beleive the reasons behind it, the Civil War is a part of our history that shouldnt be swept under the rug.



So, as a somewhat infamous politician stated, it is my American Duty to pay my taxes....it's just another fucking thing the Federal and State Governemnts are dipping their greedy little hands into my hard earned paycheck, making it that much harder for me to provide a good life for my son.

 

[TSD]

Interesting tidbit I wanted to share that many don't know. Our government was paying pensions out for over a century on the Civil War to military spouses. The last widow of a Civil War veteran died in 2004 and there were a few others that passed away before her. I always found it interesting that spouses of soldiers who fought a war 140 years ago were still around. But here's how it worked:



1) Confederate soldier was young when he fought in Civil War - around age 17 or 18. They were born around 1847 and the ended in 1865.

2) Confederate soldier in his older age marries young teen girl around age 18. Soldier is in his 70s and gets married around 1920.

3) The 18 year wife now lives a long life and dies in her 90s. And that's how you end up with spouses of Civil War veterans from just a few years ago. I always found this fascinating. The reason this happened I read is because the military pension checks were really good and families struggling in the early 1900s had their young daughters marry Civil War vets for the financial support. The widowed wife was then able to collect the checks after the veteran soldier passed on.



http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-05-31-war-widow_x.htm

They were probably younger than that.

 

[bri]

Why? What should I go WTF about? I am not paying a property tax, I have not bought the house nor am I buying the house I live in right now. And even still, why should I say WTF? Whatever you beleive the reasons behind it, the Civil War is a part of our history that shouldnt be swept under the rug.



So, as a somewhat infamous politician stated, it is my American Duty to pay my taxes....it's just another fucking thing the Federal and State Governemnts are dipping their greedy little hands into my hard earned paycheck, making it that much harder for me to provide a good life for my son.

I am extremely sorry that my comment offended you. I forgot how sensitive you are about Florida and Alabama. I will try to be less ignorant in the future.

 

[bubbleheadchief]

I am extremely sorry that my comment offended you. I forgot how sensitive you are about Florida and Alabama. I will try to be less ignorant in the future.

That was a legitimate question, what am I supposed to go WTF about?

 

[sth]

That was a legitimate question, what am I supposed to go WTF about?

It makes sense that someone living in Alabama would be upset about a tax to raise money for people that have been dead for 80 years. That would make a lot of people angry. I assumed you would be mad about it too.

 

[bubbleheadchief]

It makes sense that someone living in Alabama would be upset about a tax to raise money for people that have been dead for 80 years. That would make a lot of people angry. I assumed you would be mad about it too.

I am not paying that tax, I dont own any property in Alabama. Although the tax is used for a park and museum that discusses a very important part of our nations history.

 

[winos5]

Interesting tidbit I wanted to share that many don't know. Our government was paying pensions out for over a century on the Civil War to military spouses. The last widow of a Civil War veteran died in 2004 and there were a few others that passed away before her. I always found it interesting that spouses of soldiers who fought a war 140 years ago were still around. But here's how it worked:



1) Confederate soldier was young when he fought in Civil War - around age 17 or 18. They were born around 1847 and the ended in 1865.

2) Confederate soldier in his older age marries young teen girl around age 18. Soldier is in his 70s and gets married around 1920.

3) The 18 year wife now lives a long life and dies in her 90s. And that's how you end up with spouses of Civil War veterans from just a few years ago. I always found this fascinating. The reason this happened I read is because the military pension checks were really good and families struggling in the early 1900s had their young daughters marry Civil War vets for the financial support. The widowed wife was then able to collect the checks after the veteran soldier passed on.



http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-05-31-war-widow_x.htm

Bullshit. That would make her @ 150 years old at death. Oldest person to date, verified by records lived to 122.



Edit: I see she married a civil war veteran in 1920. That must have been a strange marriage 23 YO married to an 81 YO geezer. I can't believe the State of Alabama would pay her civil war pension benifits based on a 10 month marriage of convenience for a war she wasn't even born yet. That's fucked up.