Letters

Fiscus: Free tax preparation available to those in need

We hope you will help spread the word about the Earn It! Keep It! Save It! (EKS) program.


The EKS coalition of partners offers free tax preparation assistance to qualifying individuals and families making less than $50,000 annually in Lake County.


During tax season, IRS-certified volunteers will be working at community sites, and will also help connect residents to other community resources providing income support.


During the 2011 tax season, more than 1,300 tax returns were filed by volunteers in Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties, claiming nearly $2 million in total refunds for United Way of the Wine Country’s region.


Thousands more people qualify for this free service, but may not know about it.


In a time when individuals and families are working hard, but barely surviving, the EKS program can help them become more financially stable.


For more information about the EKS program and how you may qualify visit www.unitedwaywinecountry.org/eitc or call 800-325-9604 to schedule your free tax preparation appointment at a community site near you.


Thank you to everyone who makes the EKS program possible!


Darlene Fiscus is vice president of community benefit for United Way of the Wine Country, with offices in Santa Rosa, Ukiah and Eureka, Calif.

Details
Written by: Darlene Fiscus

Strasser: Shooting them arouses no ire

Donald Rumsfeld (Rummy) contributed to the propaganda to justify invading Iraq with a set of notions: Rumsfeld argued that we have the “known knowns” which are the things that we know that we know.


Then, we have the “known unknowns,” which are the things we know that we don’t know (for example, we know there are cars on Main Street, but we may not know how many, or exactly where they are).


Thirdly, Rumsfeld argued, we have the “unknown unknowns,” or things we don’t even know that we don’t know, and these are the ones that necessitate invading Iraq.


The philosopher, Slavoj Zizek argues that there is a fourth category that Rumsfeld failed to mention: the “unknown knowns.”


These are the prejudices we have, and the assumptions that we make, which we may not even be aware of.


I thought of this when I heard the government was very upset about the current scandal in Afghanistan.


I was thinking how strange it is that we are abhorred by our soldiers urinating on the dead bodies of Afghans, but shooting them aroused no ire whatsoever.


We assume shooting poor people in a country that we invaded under false premises 10 years ago is OK. Kill them, yes, but don’t pee on them.


Nelson Strasser lives in Kelseyville, Calif.

Details
Written by: Nelson Strasser
  1. Smith: Hope for healing
  2. Flaherty: Astounded by community generosity
  3. Strasser: Obama is Wall Street

LCNews

Award winning journalism on the shores of Clear Lake.