Dear Editor: Government Needs to Get Off Our Backs

Dear Editor,

Will congress enact more corporate tax cuts now that Republicans have taken control of the House of Representatives? Will they extend current corporate tax cuts? How about tax cuts for the rest of us? That’s right, 95% of us do not own stocks and bonds. The bottom 95% of us on the income hierarchy are subject to individual federal tax rates that range from 10% to as high as 37%! What about us?

I understand the necessity of paying taxes. Infrastructure, Social Security, Medicare, and the military are some of the necessary programs we pay for. I am glad to pay my fair share. What infuriates me is why those of us who earn less are paying the most in taxes. Why do corporations and the rich continue to get an almost free ride on the backs of the working men and women of our country?

Congress has a unique opportunity to demonstrate that it can work together in passing legislation to make the IRS tax code simpler and fairer for all taxpayers. This can and should be accomplished in a revenue-neutral manner. This onerous tax burden carried by the working men and women of our country should be shifted to reflect a more equitable allocation of taxes. At the very least, the individual tax brackets should be further adjusted for inflation. The recent inflation adjustment was insufficient. In short, I ask, which political party is actually the friend of working men and women? In short, I say to the government, the rich and the powerful, get off my back!

Sincerely,

Don Lepinsky

Whitehall, Montana