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The Declaration of Independence says it best: "...all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable (inseparable, inherent) Rights" and among these are life, liberty, and property (not in the first listing, but in the 2nd listing, a paragraph further down as well as in John Locke's 2nd Treatise on Government which has a much greater discussion of "property"). It goes on, "to secure these Rights, governments are instituted..." The places where poverty is at its worst is places where property rights (starting with the first piece of property you own; your own body) are not respected and where the government, instead of protecting rights, instead acts as a much nastier version of a schoolyard tough taking everyone's lunch money and enforcing his rule with a bunch of bullies at his beck and call. Changing our (or anyone's) taxation rules to further enrich those toughs will do absolutely *nothing* to reduce poverty in those countries. Start with respect for property, so the people have hope that working to better themselves will not make them targets of plunder. Work outward from there.

I agree. I certainly didn't get paid and I took care of both of my parents for over five years. I have three brothers and all of their remaining assets were split evenly four ways. As hard as it was, I will never regret it. However, when things got beyond them being able to care for themselves with supervision; they went to a facility. They passed a year apart at ages 92 and 90. Ten years ago and I miss them still.

One thing about MIT that is really different from most schools is that people form bonds around their "living groups" (NOT "dorms"), and activities. Your son could ask about the interviewer's living group, and ask about clubs or groups that include his own interests. Some info can be found online but asking how to really delve into life at the 'Tute will certainly show that he wants to be part of it all, not just take a bunch of classes. IHTFP, after all. One meaning (out of dozens) is "I have truly found paradise." (I have tried, failed, and punted; I hate this *ummm* place; interesting hacks to fascinate people; I'll have thesis finished pronto; I have taken freshman physics; iron has three fundamental properties.... the list goes on probably for pages.)

I think almost everyone agrees that we need government regulations rather than anarchy and I know of no religion that opposes helping others. If someone chooses to overpay his tax to help others, no one objects, but he has no right to compel others to do the same. He does have the right to try to have laws changed, but unless he is a dictator or absolute monarch, there isn't any way that he can change the laws without convincing enough others to support his point of view. Most of the abuses are the fault of the governments in poverty-stricken countries. The people who run those governments are not the ones that are poverty-stricken. I think Judge Learned Hand said it best: "Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one's taxes. Over and over again the Courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everyone does it, rich and poor alike and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands."

Came back from lunch today to find out a client of mine drop off a 24-pack of beer for my troubles. MAS

That is wonderful, Judy. When I was caring for my mother, my sister was too far away, and "too busy", and my brother, sadly, was right there but eager to inherit, and I actually had to protect her from him. But hard as it was, not only on me but on my family to do without me during that time, I will never regret a single day.

Well said, Marilyn and Jack. I've also had to care for aging parents, and I would never think of being paid or that my brothers and sisters need to contribute equal time either. I've heard them each say many times, "don't worry about it, Judy will take care of it" and that's ok too. I have a little more time to help Mom out than they do. We all pitch in, and I know that all I need to do is make the call and they would come at any time of the day or night.

Two hints that I have looked for as I have interviewed people. 1. Does he appear to want to be here and is wiling to do the work. One of the best measurements I have found is how they sit in a chair. My expereience has been that those who loung back in the chair and give the appearance that they are comfortable and it will take a little to get them out of the chair, usually take a little to get them going. He does not have to sit on the edge of the chair, however, lounging is out. He does not want to be anxious (hard) but give the impression that he is ready to go to work. 2. He is also there to interview them...this should be a two-way street. He needs to have some questions that are issues critical to him also. This will demonstrate to the interviewer that he has put some thought into going to MIT, in this case, and even knows a little about the school and the expectations there. When I was recruited out of college item #2 was one thing that all the headhunters indicated they did not usually run into but was very important. Not that it matters at this point, but, I ended up having multiple offers to choose from.

While you can ALWAYS, IN EVERY RELIGION, find a few extremists who behave that way, that does not mean you should smear the whole religion because of a few nuts. Do you think that Westboro represents Christianity's attitude toward homosexuals, for example? Actually, while Christianity does not approve of it, very few churches close their doors to them, instead they accept them and pray for them. Christianity does not demand that church members be pure, indeed if that was the case there would be little need for churches. Most churches in this country work hard to extend help to all who need help, supporting homes for pregnant women who need help, supporting food banks that help anyone who needs it, operating AA groups, etc. I find your argument against religion hard to understand. As I do you mention of "immigrants". I notice you make no distinction between illegal and legal immigrants? Do you believe nations have no right to control their borders? Or are you referring to how the tax code treats them?

I have a very strong personal objection to even think about being paid to take care of my own mother. As a society, this is absolutely atrocious.

Tom, you and Patty are solid, down to earth parents, so I'm sure that he's not just one of those one-sided brainiacs that has no idea of the real world. He will do just fine.

Thanks Catherine. He interviews tonight at 5:20PM. According to the blogs Elrod provided, the acceptace rate for those who interview is 12.5%. For those who don't it is 2.8%. I think he has to do the interview to even have a chance. Appreciate your time and input. Tom Hollister, CA

I will also add that my husband (who coaches the Pistol Team) notes over the years he sees more and more kids who are "wicket smaht" (translated: wicked (super) smart, in Boston-speak) but who have spent their young lives in front of computer screens and keyboards -- and who therefore have a VERY limited intuition about how the physical world works. This, in general, makes it much harder to learn mechanics and how calculus describes (at first, before it goes seriously esoteric) *physical* changes. Changes in slope, in acceleration, describing the way a cable "hangs" when supported at two points... Or they've never played with electronics kits and learned what happens when you stick a bigger or smaller value resistor in your circuit (or your "solar car" project, as so many schools make kids build). Someone who still understands those things will have an easier time at MIT and make a better impression at the interview. More than anything else, MIT is about the WHY that underpins and informs the "how" of things.

My buddy who does interviews (on this side of the country) cautions that every interviewer is different. Here are his comments. He says: <begin rant> I care more about how they think than what they have done. Frequently, the applicant has done some huge project in robotics or math or some such. Then when I probe, I find that they have no idea WHY things work the way they do. The ones that understand the underlying principles really stand out. Also, I care more about attitude than anything. I am asking myself if they are going to SURVIVE, and attitude is most of it. They ALL have great grades, great AP courses, great SATs and I couldn't give less of a shit about any of it. In fact, the interviewers are NOT supposed to have transcripts, scores or even resumes. Although I like resumes. I often see the #1 ranked student, and almost invariably find them boring. <rant ends> The interview is a small part of the process. It can definitely swing the vote, but if the foundational stuff ain't there, it doesn't matter. And I have been told that the interview has more effect in the negative direction than the positive. Not sure if I can corroborate that, tho.

Or more important, to PREPARE for it. Why Your Brain Needs More Downtime http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=mental-downtime&WT.mc_id=SA_facebook

Haha! Cute one, Jack. Now if only someone would invent a simple device that could be installed on public restroom entrance doors that would disable the phones! Do people not mind hearing that (couldn't resist, sorry ) or hearing a flush?!

Catherine, My son has his interview set up for this week. Any tips you can give him about what to expect in the interview? Will there be questions like "If you could be any animal, what would it be?" Just wondering how he should prep for this interview? Thanks for your time. You have been invaluable as a resouce on MIT. Tom Hollister, CA

As Willie Shakespeare wrote: "The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose". There are passages in the bible such as: Slaves be ye faithful to your masters. The poor ye shall have with ye always. This could be used to justify slavery and poverty, few religions advocate slavery or poverty.

There is a big difference in being paid to take care of your mother and paying someone else when it is beyond your own capabilities. I did not face the long term care issue with my Dad, and Mom is still living on her own. I TOTALLY get where you are coming from.

What "religious" groups have you been a part of, or interacted with personally that espouse the things you just said? My life experience does not support your broad brush generalizations.

And good luck to your son -- I am sure he will do fabulously well.

" They don't draw a line between "evasion" and "avoidance," but talk of abuses which "deprive governments of the resources required to provide the programmes that give effect to economic, social and cultural rights, and to create and strengthen the institutions that uphold civil and political rights." TRANSLATION: deprive those in control of tax money to use to control their populations. Certainly we need government regulations rather than anarchy, there is no sane person who disagrees with that. However, there is a big difference between reasonable regulation and government trying to micro-manage the entire economy. And I know of no "religion opposed to helping others.". Could you give us an example, Jainen?

My own goes on extension because I am never sure how much I can fund my 401(k). Employer contributions can go in until 10/15, so I kinda wait until my end of season billing starts coming in. I used to always file early, then got too busy to get my books done. Chelle keeps them up to date each month now though! I love having an assistant. All the clients that actually got me their stuff are transmitted. Whew. Now I can get back to the business of booking hotels & trains for my next vacation & a CPE conference in December.

The international legal association that sponsored this study is thinking on a different level. They point out that local tax laws exist in a broad environment of treaty and other obligations, both legal and ethical. They don't draw a line between "evasion" and "avoidance," but talk of abuses which "deprive governments of the resources required to provide the programmes that give effect to economic, social and cultural rights, and to create and strengthen the institutions that uphold civil and political rights." They make a compelling case. "Actions of states that encourage or facilitate tax abuses, or that deliberately frustrate the efforts of other states to counter tax abuses, could constitute a violation of their international human rights obligations, particularly with respect to economic, social and cultural rights." But, again, I guess that some readers can't understand this if they have politics opposed to government regulation and religion opposed to helping others.

Many developing nations have autocratic governments. There is no guarantee that tax collections and resource sharing will be used for citizens who live in poverty. In fact, they are very likely to be used for the benefit of government insiders and their friends instead of the governed. The IBA's statement addresses an ideal world, not the real one. Whether businesses pay the government their fair share or hide their wealth in off-shore havens probably doesn't make a lick of difference to the family who lives in a mud and thatch hut and spend their days in subsistence farming. They will never see the inside of a school or have enough to eat regardless of internal or international tax policies. Alaska's Permanent Fund could be a model for all nations. The state collects a severance tax from businesses who exploit natural resources, e.g., oil, fish. These resources are considered to be owned by all state residents, and every year each of those residents gets a check for their share of the tax collected. Something like that could certainly help reduce poverty in resource-rich nations, but it more often goes to the chosen few. Think the old USSR shared a dime of the monies made from its oil wells with the peasants?

Even if helping a client keep more of his own earning increases poverty,it would not be appropriate to cause someone to overpay his taxes to decrease poverty. If there is a problem, it should be handled by changing laws, not by failing to take advantage of existing laws.

The headline of that article was Tax Avoidance Seen as a Human Rights Violation Interesting concept, huh? In this country we make a clear distinction between Avoidance [legal] and Evasion [illegal]. The report highlights concerns over the “morality” of sophisticated tax planning strategies, in which corporations and wealthy individuals end up paying little or no money in taxes. Among the types of tax behavior seen as potentially abusive are transfer pricing and other cross-border intra-group transactions, the negotiation of tax holidays and incentives, the taxation of natural resources and the use of offshore accounts. “The fact that sophisticated tax planning strategies are technically legal is no longer a justification for their use,” said Yale University professor Thomas Pogge, who chairs the IBA Human Rights Institute Task Force. “The impact of tax abuses, facilitated by secrecy jurisdictions, on global poverty is tremendous. The international community has not only a legal obligation but also a moral duty to ensure that states use the maximum resources available to fulfill the civil, political, economic and social rights of citizens.” The report urges states to implement international standards of transparency and information exchange in tax matters, and businesses to undertake due diligence measures and impact assessment of all operations, including tax planning strategies. Lawyers also need to balance their obligations to defend their clients’ interests with their responsibilities to uphold human rights in their practice, including with respect to tax planning strategies, the report argues. “The legal profession has an important role to play in confronting the negative effects of tax abuses on human rights,” said Sternford Moyo, who co-chairs the IBA Human Rights Institute and is a member of the task force. “Lawyers have a duty to balance their obligation to their client’s interests with their obligations to uphold human rights and the rule of law.” The report also takes note of the role of accountants, quoting one unnamed expert interviewed by the task force who observed, “Those who siphon funds out of developing countries can and should know that they are thereby actively diminishing funds that go to efforts to reduce poverty. And those who facilitate tax abuse (e.g., tax havens, secrecy jurisdictions, and certain lawyers and accountants) can and should know that their activities likewise take funds away from efforts to reduce poverty.” So helping a client keep more of his own earning, by legal tax advice, is increasing poverty? I'm not buying that. You reduce poverty by increasing economic activity. When, for example, a company opens a plant in a poor country to take advantage of lower wages, that creates jobs in the poor country, improving opportunity for those workers to improve their own lives.

its a very Global outlook that ties our taxes to other countries development.

I think you stole that one from me! Its posted behind my desk in a nice frame. right next to another that says. "I don't like charging friends for services but after long and exhaustive research I have determined that my enemies won't do business with me."