WEALTHY: The tax burden truth

Mr. Windham, I suggest that when you get your talking points from the Democratic Party, you look at something more than the pictures.

How do you know what the “rich” feel? Has Obama created a new czar that determines when a person is “rich” and therefore evil, owing his “surplus” to the “people”? Our founders fought for our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I do not recall a limit or penalty being placed on our ability to earn wealth.

The only limits should be on those whose chose to live off others. Paraphrasing Karl Marx, “I am less wealthy than you, therefore you owe me an equal part of your wealth.” China is not laughing, Marx also advocated the absolution of debt.

Taxes at a 30 year low? You must be talking about the ratio of taxes collected to the total population. Yes, with massive unemployment this ratio is low. People out of work don’t pay income taxes. You must also mean that 30 years ago taxes were higher than today. Wrong.

Ronald Reagan, a Republican, took office in 1981. He worked with Congress to overhaul the tax code, changing the code to exempt millions of people with low incomes. He did not raise the tax brackets, he lowered them. There was no need to raise taxes on any special group of taxpayers as increased production created jobs and created new tax revenues. His massive tax cuts prompted the largest increase in production and job creation in our history.

You say most Americans want to see the wealthy shoulder the tax burden. What do you call a tax structure in which 50% of taxpayers do not pay income tax? A system where the top 1 percent of income earners pay over 40% of all federal taxes and the top 5% pay over 70%? A system that has the highest corporate tax rate in the world? This system is called the U.S. tax code.

What is needed is the incentive to invest. Where most American job creation is generated, and therefore tax revenues, is investment and risk by small companies and wealthy individuals in the private sector. Raising taxes on the very group of investors that create jobs, DISCOURAGES INVESTMENT. A tax hike on these investors and companies would hurt our economy and the job market even more than current numbers.

Tax burdens? Obama Care will add $800 billion in tax increases. Who do you think will pay for this? Who will pay for the 15 trillion in debt? We all will.

LABRADOR? One of the best men in our government today, we need more like him. I gave his campaign $100.00, guess that makes me a big money contributor.

Thanks to a good newspaper,

JOHN M. CLARK

Coeur d’Alene