Tag Archive for four freedoms monument

The Cost Of Our Four Freedoms

July 7, 2011 Editorials Comments Off
Business & Tax Insights
By Mark Buescher, C.P.A. – Guest Columnist

As I look out of our office window here in Madison, I can not help but notice the Four Freedoms Monument standing proudly at the corner of North Range Avenue and East Base Street.  The monument was presented to the City of Madison on June 14, 1944 to the memory of World War II hero and Madison native Colin P. Kelly, Jr.

The Four Freedoms Monument was commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt following his articulation of the “Four Freedoms” in his 1941 State of the Union Address.  The monument represents the freedom of speech, the freedom of worship, the freedom of want, and the freedom from fear.

On the eve of America’s involvement in World War II, Roosevelt stated, “In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.”  Roosevelt felt that the goals outlined in his speech were “attainable in our own time and generation.”

Since Roosevelt’s speech, our country has worked hard to not only maintain those freedoms but also to help others around the world maintain those freedoms as well.  Roosevelt believed that the freedoms should be spread “everywhere in the world.”

Of course, the four essential freedoms that we love and cherish, but sometimes take for granted, have come with a price.  Countless thousands of Americans, including Colin Kelly, have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect those freedoms so that our families and future generations can live according to Roosevelt’s vision.  After all, Roosevelt’s vision is our vision.

But just how far should we go to maintain those freedoms?  For instance, have we taken “freedom from want” to a level beyond Roosevelt’s vision?  Or, are we on the right track, continuing to strive toward his vision.  In his speech, he states “The Third is freedom from want – which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy, peacetime life for its inhabitants – everywhere in the world.”

It is important we spread our “economic understanding” to not only America’s inhabitants, but also to the inhabitants of the world.  After all, when nations experience economic stability and its citizens experience freedom from want, the world order is more peaceful and nations work together and strive for a friendlier, civilized society.  But spreading our freedoms comes at a cost other than the sacrifice of American lives.  Our freedoms come at a cost of dollars and cents as well.  These costs equate to taxation upon every American.

Sometimes I wonder, should Roosevelt have added another freedom to his list of four.  Should he have added “freedom of excessive tax burdens” or “freedom of government over-spending?”  Just how much do our current “freedoms” cost?
Currently, Americans will spend an average of 28% of their income to pay federal, state and local taxes this year, according to the Tax Foundation.  In other words, every working American will need to work 102 days – more than three months – just to earn enough to pay their tax bill.

This year’s “Tax Freedom Day,” as the Tax Foundation calls it, came three days later than last year.  The Foundation calculates Tax Freedom Day based on various taxes such as income, social security, sales, property and other taxes.  “Other” taxes includes taxes paid in all aspects of our daily lives, including taxes at the fuel pump, taxes on our cell phone usage, and even the “sin” taxes such as taxes on tobacco and alcohol.

While the overall average of 102 days may seem like a long time to be working for our government, it’s less time than the record of 121 days we had to work in 2000, when the booming economy boosted incomes and led to the collection of far more income tax.  That was before the Bush-era tax cuts kicked in.  But be aware, the trend is in a strong reversal mode, and the number of days before achieving Tax Freedom Day is projected to continue to rise year after year into the immediate future.

But here is another statistic from the foundation:  If the government were to collect enough taxes to fund all spending for 2011 (with no deficit), Americans would have to work an average of 41 more days each year to provide the additional $1.48 trillion of revenue needed.  Tax Freedom Day would fall on May 23 – the latest deficit-inclusive Tax Freedom Day since World War II.

Indeed, our freedoms throughout our history have come at a cost – both in human sacrifice and tax dollars.  The question will always be the same:  Just how much should our freedoms cost?  Or perhaps, should Roosevelt have added another freedom to his list of four?

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.

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Save Our Monument

February 22, 2011 Editorials Comments Off

National Security

Joe Boyles
Guest Columnist

The greatest cultural gift bestowed upon our community is the Four Freedoms Monument.  Commissioned by President Roosevelt in the early days of World War II, the monument serves to honor two ideas.  First, there are a unique set of values which define our nation, symbolized by the four freedoms.  Second, these ideas are worth fighting and dying for as was the heroic example of Colin P. Kelly, Jr. whose name graces the pedestal of the monument.
On January 6, 1941, FDR delivered what presidential historians recently hailed as the third most important State of the Union address in our nation’s history.  In this speech, Roosevelt painted a grim picture of a world at war and suggested that sooner or later, America would need to pick sides.  By focusing on the freedoms that define our nation, we would know which side best represented our core values.
Eleven months later, the Japanese attacked and America entered the war.  One of the war’s first casualties was Madison native Colin P. Kelly, Jr. who valiantly sacrificed his life to save his B-17 crew after attacking a Japanese warship in The Philippines.  The nation was inspired by Kelly’s heroic sacrifice as was the President who proclaimed Colin Kelly our nation’s first war hero.
Roosevelt commissioned a monument to be constructed to honor both the ideals of the Four Freedoms and Captain Kelly’s sacrifice.  Walter Russell created the monument which was unveiled at Madison Square Garden in 1943 to more than 60 thousand admirers.  Then the monument was shipped south.  It was dedicated on Flag Day, June 14, 1944 at the spot where it resides today on the corner of Base and Range Streets.  Governor Spessard Holland gave the keynote address to what was likely the largest crowd to gather in Madison’s history.
Today the monument sits on a pedestal at the center of town, largely untouched since its dedication seven decades ago … and it is slowly crumbling before our eyes.  The Four Freedoms Monument was not sculpted from a piece of durable North Georgia marble but rather formed from a plaster and marble ship composite.  The biggest culprit to the monument’s slow disintegration is rain.  You see, the monument was never designed to be placed outdoors among the elements of weather.
If nothing is done, the monument will continue to deteriorate and the four angels will eventually become unrecognizable.  How long will this take?  Who knows; the problem with gradual deterioration is that it is slow but always taking place.  We get used to the wear and dirty color, not realizing what is happening over time.
What can be done to preserve this important and priceless treasure, the very symbol of our community?  I think the answer is a structure to keep the direct rain off the monument.  It would need to be architecturally designed to add rather than detract from the beauty of the monument.  And in the process, it could be much more.  With proper lighting, it could present an even more magnificent presence at night than it does today.  We could also fix a press-to-hear speaker that would briefly tell visitors about the significance of the monument and include excerpts from the speech in Roosevelt’s own voice.  We could also build a civics and history program to introduce the relevance of the monument to our school children.
How much would this project cost?  I don’t really know but I shouldn’t think it would be terribly expensive.  First we would raise the funds for a design which would also include a cost estimate.  Once the design was approved by local authorities, we would begin fund raising to construct the structure.  We might find some grant money to augment local fund raising.
It seems like a worthwhile project to protect and preserve this iconic symbol of freedom and sacrifice.  Are we willing to make a modest sacrifice of time, resources and energy to honor our legacy?
Postscript: Last month, I wrote an article critical of public sector unions that stirred up some passion.  That article turned out to be prescient.  What you are seeing unfold in Wisconsin is literally the tip of the iceberg.  One state after another has come to the realization that politicians have over promised and then kicked the can too far down the road.  These public sector contracts are bankrupting the states and they simply must be reigned in — there isn’t enough money to pay the obligations.

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Looking Back: The Four Freedoms Monument

January 20, 2011 History Comments Off

The Four Freedoms Monument stands tall in the center of the city of Madison. This monument is a collection of four angels, each representing a different freedom. The four freedoms represented are; the freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear. These four freedoms were outlined in President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union Address.
The statue was sculpted by Walter Russell at the end of 1941 and was dedicated in 1943. The dedication ceremony took place is Madison Square Garden in New York City. There were over 60,000 people present for the ceremony. The monument was dedicated in the memory of Colin P. Kelly, of Madison, Fl.
Colin P. Kelly was the first recognized American heroe of World War II. He was a WWII B-17 Flying Fortress pilot. He flew bombing runs against he Japanese navy during the Pearl Harbor attack. His plane was the first American B-17 to be shot down during combat. This shooting took place on December 10, 1941. Kelly’s plane fell under attack by Zeros from the Tainan Air Group, flown by the infamous Japanese pilot, Saburo Sakai. The plane was badly damaged and would not be able to fly much longer. Kelly remained at the controls in order to allow the crew members to bail out. As soon as they were free, Kelly and his co-pilot, Lt. Donald Robins, attempted to escape. Before they were able to escape, the plane exploded and ejected both of the men. Robins was able to open his parachute in time, however, Kelly was unable to open his chute. He fell to the ground and died on impact.
Colin P. Kelly was honored with several awards, memorials and works of art. He received a Distinguished Service Cross, after his death, for his “extraordinary heroism and selfless bravery.” During WWII the US Liberty ship SS Colin P. Kelly, Jr. was dedicated and named in his honor. He was also honored with the Four Freedoms Monument.
On June 14, 1944, the Four Freedoms Monument was moved from New York City and taken to the hometown of Colin P. Kelly. Governor Spessard Holland rededicated the monument in Kelly’s honor.
To this day it remains in his hometown of Madison, Fl.

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