Greene Publishing, Inc.

A conversation in the middle of the night between two lonely people inspired these lyrics. She and I were discussing how we both knew so many people but there was something missing. I told her I was going to write about the loneliness. She asked me not to write about it unless I included the answer to the loneliness. The answer I found is prayer and I hope the prayer shows through in the following lyrics:

Bought Out

So many times I have sought out
Someone whose heart has been bought out
By the Blood of the Lamb and the Great I Am
I’ve endured many long and lonely nights
Searching for someone whose heart ‘s made right
By the Blood of the Lamb and the Great I Am.
Send me the one who will love me,
The one whose heart’s pure not ugly,
So they can heal this broken heart.
There are millions of people I know,
And millions of places I could go,
But I don’t want to do anything unpleasing to you,
So send me that person I have sought out
The one whose heart has been bought out
By the Blood of the Lamb and the Great I Am.
The seasons come and the seasons go
And the winds of change may blow
But I need someone who will be
True to You and true to me
So send the one who I’ve sought out
The one whose heart has been bought out
By the Blood of the Lamb and the Great I Am.

By Diann Douglas
Guest Columnist

Just in time to help with New Year’s resolutions to eat healthy and be more physically active, the USDA just launched a new online program called SuperTracker.

This state-of-the art resource is available at ChooseMyPlate.gov; it is designed to assist individuals working on health changes in their lives.

The Myplate website is an updated version of the old MyPryamid. It provides practical information to individuals, health professionals, nutrition educators and the food industry to help consumers build healthier diets with resources and tools for dietary assessment, nutrition education and other user-friendly nutrition information. Since Americans are experiencing epidemic rates of overweight and obesity, the online resources and tools can empower people to make healthier food choices for themselves, their families and children.

A recent task force on childhood obesity reported simple actionable advice for consumers was needed. The US Department of Agriculture’s response was to launch MyPlate and this new computer tool; all part of the effort to provide easy to understand information to help consumers adopt healthy eating habits consistent with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

SuperTracker, the new tool on the website, is designed to assist Americans at all stages of life improve their overall health and well-being as they input dietary and physical activity choices into the tool. Individuals can set up an account to log in daily food choices and physical activity. The program will personalize how much food to eat according to your weight and activity. Other features that are helpful are goal setting, virtual coaching, weight tracking and journaling. Once a consumer sets up a personal account, it can be accessed any time of the day to track progress.

So many people start out the New Year with great intentions, only to slip by the time February arrives. SuperTracker is a great tool to help keep you on target with New Year’s resolutions to improve your food choice, stay physically active and maintain a healthy weight.

For more information on food and nutrition, contact the Madison County Extension Service.

The University of Florida Extension/IFAS Madison County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap or national origin.

By Mark Mark Buescher, C.P.A.
Guest Columnist

Last week in this column, I indicated that 2012 could be a year of optimism relative to North Florida economic conditions. I addressed various segments of the economy including favorable Florida employment numbers recently released by the governor.

One area that I did not address was that of inflation. Fortunately, our current rate of inflation remains at historically low averages and has been a ray of sunshine as well. Through November, 2011, the average inflation rate for the year was 3.4%, based on the most recent figures produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. December figures will be available in the next few days, but are expected to be comparable.

When inflation is low, consumers and businesses are better able to make long-range plans because they know that the purchasing power of their money will hold and will not be steadily eroded year after year.

Low inflation also means lower nominal and real interest rates. Lower interest rates reduce the cost of borrowing and, in turn, encourages households to buy durable goods, such as automobiles and refrigerators. By keeping inflation under wraps, our economy will eventually gain a stronger foothold and we will eventually return to prosperity.

But we, as consumers and taxpayers, are not the only ones that keep a watchful eye on inflation. The IRS closely monitors the rate as well. Our tax laws require that certain tax numbers be adjusted for inflation each year. Most of these numbers are unchanged or change slightly for 2012 since inflation was minimal for 2011. However, there are a few worth noting as we consider tax planning this year.

For example, the standard mileage rate for business driving remains at 55.5 cents for 2012. For 2011, it was 55.5 cents for miles driven after June 30 and 51 cents for miles driven before July 1. This rate is important since employees use the rate for reimbursement purposes from their employers and business owners use it in computing their deductions.

The rate for medical and moving mileage decreases from 23.5 cents per mile to 23 cents per mile. The general rate for charitable driving remains at 14 cents per mile.

Unfortunately, the maximum earnings subject to social security tax increases slightly. Employees “max out” on social security tax withheld from their paychecks once their earnings reach $110,000, up by $3,300. The earnings limit for those under full retirement age is $14,640. For those at full retirement age, there is no earnings limit.

The “nanny tax” threshold increases to $1,800 for 2012, up from $1,700 in 2011. If you pay household workers more than this amount during the year, you are responsible for payroll taxes. Included are workers such as gardeners, baby sitters, nurses, or those that perform general household chores.

The “kiddie tax” on the other hand is unchanged for 2012. If your child under age 19 (under age 24 for students) has more than $1,900 of unearned income, such as dividends and interest income, the excess could be taxed at the parents top rate.

On the downside, certain limits that we would like increased, however, remain unchanged due to low inflation. The maximum individual retirement account (IRA) contribution you can make for 2012 remains unchanged at $5,000 if you are under age 50 and $6,000 if you are 50 or older.

The maximum amount of wages employees can put in a 401(k) plan for 2012 increases to $17,000. If you are 50 or older, you can contribute up to $22,500 to a 401(k) and $14,000 to a SIMPLE plan.

Tax legislation could change these and other important tax numbers at any time. Also, keep a watchful eye on inflation. If the economy tends to warm up a bit more, inflation could begin to raise its ugly head higher. After all, inflation affects our finances from many different prospective, including that of taxation.

Mark Buescher, CPA is owner and principal of Buescher and Ruff, LLC, a local full service accounting firm in Madison, specializing in tax preparation, business consulting and tax planning. Tax laws contain varying effective dates and numerous limitations and exemptions that cannot be summarized easily. For details and guidance for your specific situation, contact your tax advisor.