Can I get a witness?

What's going on these days? Has it always been this way? I know that I'm an idealist but why does a quest for a straight answer have to be amended, categorized, edited and contextualized?

I recently called my accountant and asked the question: How much will I be taxed on income made from being a contracted employee of the county government? The answer was qualified with the fact that I don't make much money from the time I put into my landscaping business, the statement that any additional money is a good idea, and that wonderful fact that I'm in the lowest tax bracket. The answer? 20%.

After I stated that I enjoy my life and don't feel the need to be taxed in a higher bracket he laughed and we both had a moment.

Believing I understood something else to be true, I asked about social security and other taxes and I asked again: How much will I be taxed? How much will I actually make after all the taxes?

The answer: "Oh, that's a different story. You'll have to add another, say, 15%." Something to this effect.

So it's true! I think I'm making $50/hr doing something I'd love and what is actually happening is that almost 40% of that money is used to employ an accountant and a whole branch of government, both insisting that you keep every piece of paper ever handed to you and in the end, give those smelly pictures of past presidents back to the institution that printed them.

If it was up to me I'd tax only one thing: Having too much money and not spending it! That solves all the economic problems doesn't it? Keep the economy healthy, decrease the difference between the rich and poor, create well paid jobs, and lessen the need to calculate three of four different equations just to decided how much money you need to save for when you retire. Can I get a witness?