Happy Labor Day!

We celebrate the the end of summer with a day that once meant more than a beer sale at the Mega-Lo-Mart and the MegaMart. Used to, back in 1882, Labor Day was a "workingman's Holiday" and used to symbolize orginzing at work and bettering lives. Today it means one last trip to the lake or beach.

This year, we have somethign extra to celebrate: For the fifth straight year, real meadian wages for working families has dropped, despite a growing economy, and Congress has passed themselves yet another raise. Government statistics show that the typical family works about 500 more hours a year than families did 30 years ago, because it takes two incomes to make it. And workers think work was better a generation ago, because companies then didn't slash pension plans to increase profits, and outsourcing was inconceivable.

Since 1900, Tax Freedom Day, the day when the nation as a whole has met its Federal tax obligations, has moved from January 22 to April 26 in 2006 (which was three days later than in 2005).

So our earning power goes down as government continues to demand more taxes (and, no, it doesn't matter if the President is Democrat or Republican. The highest peacetime tax increase belongs to Bill Clinton, who took the honor from Ronald Reagan.) And our representatives in government tell us how hard it is form them to make ends meet, and that's why they voted for a pay increase.

Finally, one other bit of news to make your Labor Day complete: The IRS may not catch wealthy tax cheats. But trust me, they will catch the poor tax cheats.