(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Itzl Alert Network: Tuesday, 27th of August, 2024: Money! [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-08-26 Last week, on Thursday, the 22nd of August, I was feeling a little bit depressed. My sister-in-law was not able to promise me a ride to the doctor’s office on Friday, so I was worried about taking a taxicab, since I have had very little experience with that. As I was going to sleep Thursday night, I got away from the depression and started feeling great, by thinking about ways that my money helps others. I ended up taking a taxicab, and I had a great day, very upbeat. As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us to check in at, to let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, or other such things that could keep us off Daily Kos. If you're not here, or anywhere else on Daily Kos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, etc.), we are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care! IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a PM to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news! This is our current schedule of regular IAN diary writers: Monday: Youffraita Tuesday: bigjacbigjacbigjac Wednesday: Pam from Calif Thursday: art ah zen Friday: FloridaSNMOM Saturday: FloridaSNDad Sunday: loggersbrat The little dog is named Itzl. Yes, we all interact with family, friends, and neighbors in ways that do not directly involve money. Words, carefully worded, and when possible, looks and hugs and handshakes. But maybe we overlook the many ways in which we interact with others, using money. For about 46 years, my payroll taxes got paid. A lot of that I am getting back now, in my Social Security direct deposit, and my Medicare and Medicaid. So, with only my Social Security money to spend, I cannot make a super big impact on anyone with money. But let’s take a closer look at what I am doing, who I am helping, with my money: My rent money pays the salaries and wages of those who work for the apartment complex, including Martina and Roger. Some of that also goes towards the property tax for the apartment complex. That pays for the ambulance service, and schools, and the salaries and wages of those who work for the county. My water bill money pays the salaries and wages of those who work for the Wichita water department. The water bill money is also going towards our new water treatment plant, which should start treating our water sometime in 2025. The old plant is 80 years old! Ha! My electricity money keeps the grid working and pays the salaries and wages of those working for the company that serves Wichita, called Evergy. My natural gas money pays for maintaining the pipelines, fixing the leaks. Kansas Gas Services fixed a leak very close to my home, just a few months ago. And salaries and wages for all the workers. My AT&T money goes to maintain the fiber optic network and pays the salaries and wages of the workers. When I need a ride, I pay either my sister-in-law, or the taxicab driver. Either way, I am paying the gasoline tax, which pays for the streets, roads, highways, and bridges, in and around Wichita, Kansas. When I buy anything at the nearby store, or at Walmart dot com, I pay sales tax, which pays for salaries and wages for those who work for the State of Kansas, such as the Kansas Highway Patrol. And I paid a lot of money for that cab ride on Friday. So, the cab drivers were happy. Looking at the bigger picture, money is a big part of how we, humankind in general, and America in particular, how we interact with each other, to reach our goals. en.wikipedia.org/… We want happiness. www.archives.gov/… We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. We want to promote the general welfare (happiness). The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States Okay! How do we get our happiness? Partly, from money! How does the government help us with our happiness? Taxes! So, there we go. At so many steps along the way, involving government at all levels, and me and my family, friends, and neighbors, we use money to make happiness. Money is not guaranteed to buy happiness. But we use it a lot, it is important, and it makes me feel good to think about all this. Hugs! [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/8/26/2265978/-Itzl-Alert-Network-Tuesday-27th-of-August-2024-Money?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/