29 December 1997
Dear Survivor of El Nino:
I hope I am not premature in assuming we will all survive El Nino. After all, the media is not prepared to ignore the possibility of the "fate worse than death" that awaits us once the oft dreaded El Nino gets into high gear.
I suppose a lot of it has to do with the high winds that accompany this meteorological phenomenon. Still, I think the media has underestimated our ability to withstand high winds. After all, we have been under the Washington effect for as long as I can remember. Talk about wind!
However, one must give credit where it is due. In 1997, Congress passed the long awaited Accountants Right to Work Act. You probably missed it in the news because most people know it by its street name: The 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act. We are not quite sure how Congress spells relief, but C O M P L E X I T Y immediately comes to mind.
We have carefully considered how best to deal with this problem. Our suggestion is to require all members of Congress to complete their own tax return. Maybe then we will see some meaningful relief! On second thought, that may be a bad idea since it could lead to more accountants in Congress!
Well, I hope your holidays have been great! May the coming year find you and your loved ones joyful for all the blessings we are fortunate enough to take for granted.
This letter comes with our best wishes and hopes for a joyful year ahead.
Best regards,
Timothy F. Terry
TFT/lsn