It’s Tax Day! Putting the t-word into perspective

It’s Tax Day! Putting the t-word into perspective: From the Red Tape Blog:
"As many rush to the mailboxes today to file federal and state income taxes, it’s important to put the t-word in perspective. Taxes have been cut dramatically both nationally and in Michigan.


Here’s our take:


All Americans pay taxes, not just half. (See report from Citizens for Tax Justice)


Federal income taxes on middle-income families are at historic lows, according to a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.


Michigan is not a high-tax state. It ranks no. 30 in the country for state & local total tax burden, according to 2009 Senate Fiscal Agency report. That means 29 other states had higher state and local tax burdens than Michigan.


Nearly all (99 percent) of Michigan’s working families and individuals received tax cuts under President Obama’s Recovery Act (See CTJ’s fact sheet.)


State and federal income taxes have been cut dramatically -- Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, Obama tax cuts for low- and middle-income taxpayers and state tax cuts throughout the 1990s. Michigan’s income tax is 4.35 percent, down from 4.6 percent.


In Michigan, low- and middle-income people still pay disproportionate share, but that has lessened with the state Earned Income Tax Credit.


In Michigan households earning the lowest 20 percent of income paid 8.9 percent of income in state and local taxes, but the top 1 percent paid 5.3 percent, according to Who Pays? by the Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy.


Taxes pay for numerous vital services. See our paper Public Services in Lives of Everyday Citizens.



Source : Judy Putnam, Michigan League for Social Services, April 15, 2010."

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: From GovGab:
"My nephew was making my sister and her husband crazy. He was fidgety, he couldn't keep his hands to himself, and he was always losing things. His grades weren't very good and his teachers were frustrated because he was constantly
distracting other kids. He would do impulsive things that ended up with him breaking things or getting hurt.



My sister took him to be evaluated. It was determined that he was suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and he was put on medicine to help control it. That was several years ago. He is a sophomore in high
school now and he is doing much better. On occasion, he still does impulsive things that get him into trouble. My sister isn't sure if that is due to his ADHD or just that he is a teenager doing teenager things.


When I decided to write on this topic, I called him up and asked him about his ADHD. I asked him to think
back before his diagnosis and what that was like. He said it was like his mind was bouncing around a lot. It was really difficult for him to stay on one topic. School was torture for him. The teachers would want him to do his work, but his mind was off somewhere else. He would try to bring his focus back, but then his thoughts would turn to something else.


I asked him if he ever felt that something was wrong or not normal. He said at times he couldn't understand why he kept doing things that were getting him in trouble. It was upsetting to him when everyone was angry with him. He was
angry with himself whenever he got in to trouble, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. It wasn't until he was put on medicine that he finally felt like he could think more clearly. He was surprised at how much easier it was to keep his focus on his tasks. The fact that his teachers and parents aren't getting angry with him so much anymore is a relief.


Finally, I asked him how he felt about having to take medicine to control his ADHD. He admitted he does not like taking the medicine, but he knows that the medicine is important to help him keep in control. He feels good when he gets good grades now. He likes that he can stay focused enough to be on sports teams and participate in other school activities. If it hadn't been for the medicine helping him to stay focused, he doubts that his parents would have trusted him to get his driver's license.



As of 2006, 4.5 million children 5-17 years of age have been diagnosed with ADHD. It isn't just kids who suffer from ADHD. Adults do too. If you, or someone you know has been diagnosed with ADHD, you may want to check out these resources:

• Center's for Disease Control and Prevention has information on Diagnosing ADHD, Data and Statistics, and Take the Next Step After Diagnosis.
• Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) has a list of blogs on ADHD, a finding support section, and a list of conferences and training programs to help professionals, parents, and individuals dealing with ADHD.
• Medlineplus.gov has compiled ADHD resources for you, including information on Managing ADHD, Treatments, and Related Issues. They also have many links to materials written in Spanish.
• National Institute of Mental Health has publications on ADHD.
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has information on ADHD.
• National Resource Center on ADHD has an “Ask the Expert” Online Chat where you can get answers to your questions. Or you can call 1-800-233-4050. They have an FAQs section, and a large library of books, scientific articles and other materials so you can conduct your own research. Sometimes kids grow into adulthood having not been diagnosed. If you are an adult who suspects you may be suffering from ADHD, here is an article on Diagnosing ADHD in Adults.
• Usa.gov's ADHD results page."

HPL's New Books

Below is a partial list of our new books. To see the full list, download the Excel file for: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, or 2006.

The Wild Zone By Fielding, Joy 2010-02 - Atria Books 9781416585299 Check Our Catalog "New York Times"-bestselling author Fielding tells the chilling story of a seemingly casual bet among friends gone terrifyingly awry. …More

High Moon, Volume 1 By Gallaher, David Author Brown, Scott O. Illustrator Ellis, Steve 2009-10 - Zuda 9781401224622 Check Our Catalog The horror adventure from Zudacomics.com arrives as a bound graphic novel to deliver werewolves (and a whole lot more) in the Old West. Bounty-hunter Matthew Macgregor investigates a series of strange happenings in the dusty Texas town of Blest where drought has brought famine and hardship to most of the town and surrounding ranches. Unfortunately, that's the least of the town's worries! While the summer heat pushes the mercury toward further unbearable degrees during the day, the nights are haunted by strange, unnatural creatures roaming the darkness. Macgregor, a former Pinkerton agent, seeks to uncover the towns dark secrets and tries desperately to keep his own past steeped in witchcraft and the supernatural hidden. …More

Beguiled By Gist, Deeanne Author Bertrand, J. Mark 2010-02 - Bethany House Publishers 9780764206283 Check Our Catalog Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston's wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area. Reporter Logan Woods must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything? …More

Arcadia Falls By Goodman, Carol 2010-03 - Ballantine Books 9780345497536 Check Our Catalog …More

Sick Like That By Green, Norman 2010-03 - Minotaur Books 9780312385439 Check Our Catalog …More

False Convictions By Green, Tim 2010-02 - Grand Central Publishing 9780446401524 Check Our Catalog In bestselling author Green's latest thriller, Casey Jordan returns. Seeking justice in a small town, Jordan is counting on an open-and-shut case. Tormented by death threats and assassination attempts, her hardest challenge may be just staying alive. …More

Money to Burn By Grippando, James 2010-03 - Harper 9780061556302 Check Our Catalog In this gripping stand-alone thriller ripped from the headlines, bestselling author Grippando explores a world in which the destruction of financial institutions and the people who run them can occur in a matter of hours--perhaps even minutes. …More

The Ten-Mile Trials By Gunn, Elizabeth 2010-02 - Severn House Publishers 9780727868244 Check Our Catalog "The latest in the acclaimed Jake Hines detective series - "A dead man is discovered in a suburban house that is being used as a drugs lab, and Captain Jake Hines pulls in all his detectives to investigate. The victim carried no identification but the discovery of a small Mass card written in the Cyrillic alphabet hidden in his jacket gives Jake an important lead - could this be connected to a ruthless Eastern European gang that has started operating in Minnesota? …More

The Puzzle Lady vs. the Sudoku Lady By Hall, Parnell 2010-02 - Minotaur Books 9780312612184 Check Our Catalog It's the battle of the century when Minami, the Sudoku Lady, shows up in Bakerhaven to meet Cora Felton, the Puzzle Lady. This latest entry in the entertaining, hilarious series again features puzzles by Will Shortz. …More

Flirt By Hamilton, Laurell K. 2010-02 - Berkley Publishing Group 9780425235676 Check Our Catalog Anita Blake meets with prospective client Tony Bennington and learns that he is willing to pay top dollar to have his recently deceased wife reanimated. But Anita knows that what would step out of the late Mrs. Bennington's grave would not be her former self, but a zombie. …More

Click to Play By Handler, David 2009-12 - Severn House Publishers 9780727868114 Check Our Catalog A dying TV star reaches out to former ace reporter Hunt Liebling with the truth behind a Hollywood murder spree. Liebling looks like he is back on track--until he walks in on an all-new Hollywood massacre and becomes the prime suspect himself. …More

Winter Garden By Hannah, Kristin 2010-02 - St. Martin's Press 9780312364120 Check Our Catalog Can a woman ever really know herself if she doesn't know her mother? From the author of "Firefly Lane" comes a powerful novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past. …More

Conspirata: A Novel of Ancient Rome By Harris, Robert 2010-02 - Simon & Schuster 9780743266109 Check Our Catalog Harris's acclaimed Roman trilogy continues with a historical saga in which the future of democracy is decided, and revenge is the coin of the realm. …More

False Mermaid By Hart, Erin 2010-03 - Scribner Book Company 9781416563761 Check Our Catalog A chilling new suspense novel from Erin Hart that brilliantly combines forensics, archaeology, and history with Irish myth and mystery. …More

Skin By Hayder, Mo 2010-01 - Grove Press 9780802119308 Check Our Catalog The author of the internationally bestselling novels "The Devil of Nanking" and "Ritual" picks up the trail of the latter novel's two unforgettable protagonists as they race to staunch a rising tide of blood in a sweltering port town. …More

The Troublemakers By Hernandez, Gilbert 2010-01 - Fantagraphics Books 9781560979227 Check Our Catalog A drug dealer, a rock 'n' roll loser, an uber-stacked vixen, and a wily grifter: these greedy low-lifes are chasing the hard luck charm! Beto's follow-up to Chance in Hell is a lurid, hard-boiled, pulpy delight! …More

Her Highness' First Murder By Herring, Peg 2010-01 - Five Star (ME) 9781594148422 Check Our Catalog …More

The Wolf at the Door By Higgins, Jack 2010-01 - Putnam Adult 9780399156120 Check Our Catalog From the author who has produced some of the best suspense fiction in the past 50 years ("The San Diego Union-Tribune") comes a novel of international intrigue and murder. …More

Blood Hina By Hirahara, Naomi 2010-03 - Minotaur Books 9780312545550 Check Our Catalog The fourth installment in Hirahara's highly acclaimed Mas Arai mystery series. "Blood Hina" is a compelling mystery . . . a beautiful and poignant snapshot of the fast disappearing world of Japanese flower growers and gardeners in Los Angles.--Lisa See. …More

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt By Hoffman, Beth 2010-01 - Pamela Dorman Books 9780670021390 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title "Steel Magnolias" meets "The Help" in this Southern debut novel sparkling with humor, heart, and feminine wisdom. Laugh-out-loud funny, Hoffman's charming work offers the story of a young girl who loses one mother and finds many others. …More

Married on Mondays By Honeyb 2010-03 - Grand Central Publishing 9780446582322 Check Our Catalog By day, Valerie Cooper, Dierdra Dawson, and Foxy Brown assist their husbands, all partners at the law firm Brown, Cooper, and Dawson. But at night, they become Vanilla Cream, Cherry Cream, and Sugar Cream, and run an upscale swingers club called Creame. Their clientele include everyone from judges, lawyers, politicians, and police officers, to soccer moms and housewives. Business is booming at the hottest club in town. Until the police chief extends an indecent proposal to Foxy: sleep with him, or go to jail. With the whole town standing behind Creame (and not just because they all happen to be clients), the women must decide whether to stand together and fight, or risk losing their business. …More

Blood Ties By Hooper, Kay 2010-01 - Bantam 9780553804867 Check Our Catalog Hooper, the "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Blood Sins," combines the most thrilling elements of suspense, romance, and the paranormal in the highly anticipated conclusion to her chilling Blood trilogy. …More

Fox Girl By Keller, Nora Okja 2002-04 - Viking Books 0670030732 Check Our Catalog The author of "Comfort Woman" returns with her latest beautifully imagined and unflinchingly honest novel. Set in the aftermath of the Korean War, "Fox Girl" is the story of its forgotten victims, the abandoned children of American GIs who live in a world where life is about survival. …More

Deception By Kellerman, Jonathan 2010-03 - Ballantine Books 9780345505675 Check Our Catalog Soon after a woman implicates a trio of teachers from an exclusive school as the perpetrators of her abuse, she is found dead. Detective Milo Sturgis calls on Alex Delaware for help, and soon the two find themselves embarking on a dark and twisted investigation. …More

In the Company of Angels By Kennedy, Thomas E. 2010-03 - Bloomsbury Publishing PLC 9781608190164 Check Our Catalog …More

Book Review: This Book is Overdue

There have been a lot of books written about libraries in the last few years, some about the unique people who use the library, some about specific libraries, and some about the history of libraries.  This book is about the librarians.  Marilyn Johnson interviews librarians in many different libraries, both physical and virtual.  She writes about the traditional jobs librarians have done over the years, and the new responsibilities that have arisen with the growing popularity of the Internet.  Being a librarian, nothing in her book was new to me, but people who think librarians sit around reading books all day will be surprised by what we really do.  It is an interesting look into the back rooms of libraries.

This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All By Johnson, Marilyn 2010-02 - Harper 9780061431609 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title In "The Dead Beat," Johnson reveals the stories behind obituary writers. Now, the author celebrates libraries and librarians while trying to answer the question: What is worth saving? …More

Staff Picks

Love your library First celebrated in 1958, National Library Week will be held the week of April 11-17, 2010, a time to recognize the various ways in which libraries enrich our lives and our communities. The best way to mark the occasion is by making time to stop by and support your library--and don't forget to check out a book while you're here. You might enjoy Marilyn Johnson's This Book is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All, which reveals the fundamental importance of librarians in an era of unprecedented challenges and changes in information flow. For the young reader in your life, you might also want to borrow a copy of the Newbery-winning The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, who just happens to be the Honorary Chair of National Library Week 2010.

At our staff meetings we take a few minutes to talk about the books we are reading. This is a list of recent favorites. STAFF PICKS for April

Local By Wood, Brian Editor Jones, James Lucas Illustrator Kelley, Ryan 2008-09 - Oni Press 9781934964002 Check Our Catalog From Brian Wood (Demo, DMZ, Northlanders) and Ryan Kelly (Lucifer, American Virgin) comes Local, a collection of twelve interconnected short stories. Crossing genres as it crosses the country, Local examines Megan McKeenan, a young woman who sets off from Portland, OR with nothing but a backpack and a bad case of wanderlust. Each emotional vignette is a self-contained story that represents one year in the life of this young vagabond as she struggles to find a place to call home, both physically and spiritually. …More

Fantasy in Death By Robb, J. D. 2010-02 - Putnam Adult 9780399156243 Check Our Catalog When someone cuts off the head of Bart Minnock, the genius founder of the computer gaming company U-Play, apparently while he was role-playing against an imaginary opponent in a prototype of a fantasy adventure that could rock the industry, Eve investigates. Security logs show no one entered Minnock's building around the time of his murder, presenting a futuristic variation on the classic locked-room mystery. …More

Lead Me on By Dahl, Victoria 2010-01 - Harlequin Books 9780373774340 Check Our Catalog Raw, animal magnetism... ...is a big red flag to prim and proper office manager Jane Morgan. After a rough childhood with a mother who liked her men in prison-jumpsuit orange, Jane changed her name, her look and her taste for bad boys. So why is she lusting for William Chase with his tattoo-covered biceps and steel-toed boots? The man blows things up for a living! She gives herself one explosive, fantasy-filled night with Chase. The next day it's back to plain Jane and safe men. But when her beloved brother becomes a murder suspect, it's Chase who comes to her rescue. And Jane discovers that a man who's been around the block knows a thing or two about uncovering the truth.... …More

Plain Truth By Picoult, Jodi 2007-08 - Washington Square Press 9781416547815 Check Our Catalog In a triumph of contemporary storytelling, Picoult presents a fascinating portrait of Amish life rarely witnessed by those outside the faith--and discovers a place where circumstances are not always what they seem, where love meets falsehood, and where relationships grow strong enough to span two worlds. …More

Hitman: Forty Years Making Music, Topping Charts, & Winning Grammys By Foster, David With Fenjves, Pablo F. 2008-11 - Pocket Books 9781439103067 Check Our Catalog Hit Man is the story of Foster's triumphant four decades in the tumultuous music industry--with 45 Grammy nominations, four wins, and three Oscar nominations. 8 pages of b&w photographs. …More

The Complete Persepolis By Satrapi, Marjane 2007-10 - Pantheon Books 9780375714832 Check Our Catalog Satrapis groundbreaking two-part graphic memoir of her unforgettable girlhood within a large family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution--now available in one volume--has been transferred to the big screen in a major animated film from Sony Picture Classics. …More

Last-Minute Tax Tips Roundup [Tax Time]

Last-Minute Tax Tips Roundup [Tax Time]: From LifeHacker:
"If your April 15 is panicked enough that free food and massages are completely out of the question, here are some tips and reminders that might ease your mind as zero hour approaches.
Photo by David Reber's Hammer Photography.

Last-Minute Filing and Extensions

• Form 4868: (Direct PDF link) The form for filing for an extension on paying your taxes.
• 10 last-minute mistakes to check for: Including your signature, overlooked deductions, and not reporting your stimulus payment. [USA Today]
• Why missing the deadline might not be so bad: Especially if you've got enough money to pay what you owed last year, there's a good chance you can send that in, file for an extension, and take the weekend to finish things up with minor interest charges. [Kiplinger's Personal Finance]
• Last-minute IRA contributions: Just about the only thing you can do to move the needle toward less money at this point, at least if you've already got an IRA set up. [Consumer Reports Money Blog]

Audits and Refunds

• Tax audit red flags: Pretending that the corner of your living room with a desktop PC is a 'home office?' The IRS may want to have a few words with you. [Bargaineering]
• Filing online and filing extensions do not trigger audits: It's incorrect information and non-matched funds that trigger audits, not how you file or how long you take. [USA Today]
• Stand Up to the IRS: In case you do get audited, here's a free ebook on how not to get pushed around. [Tax Attorney Daily]
• Track your federal refund online: Once you're done with the heavy lifting, the lucky ones can wait for their funds to roll on back to them. [IRS via Get Rich Slowly]

Not enough tax reading for you? Our Taxes tag page contains our posts, and your tips, over the many years that we've all been shoving our packets in the mail together.

"

Last Minute Tax Filing

Last Minute Tax Filing: From GovGab: "It's Tax Day!

Accountants everywhere are rejoicing that they can see the light at the end of the tunnel of their busy season.

But if you're one of the people who still hasn't finished their taxes, you're probably scrambling to make sure everything is done and filed by today's deadline.

If you don't get your taxes paid on time, you could be fined or get hit with failure-to-pay penalties. The IRS offers some great tips on how to avoid that, including electronic and installment payment options.

You can also request an extension to file through the IRS e-file system. That extension will give you until October 15 to file your tax return. The catch is that if you owe money, your payment is due today.

I put my tax stuff in the mail a few weeks ago, but I have some friends who are still tying up the loose ends on their returns.

Are you an early tax filer or do you wait until the last minute?"