Time to move north
The Times reports that 40 percent of Americans pay no federal income tax [“In swing states, McCain and Obama spar over taxes,” Politics, Oct. 19]. Also reported is that “the richest 5 percent pay significantly more than half of all federal income taxes.”
Sen. Barack Obama thinks we need to do more sharing of the wealth; he wants to give “tax breaks” to those who don’t pay any federal taxes to begin with.
Many of those in that 40 percent do pay into Social Security and Medicare, but that is money they are supposed to get back some day, in addition to what they receive from the few people who are still paying income tax. I would imagine the minimum age for receiving Social Security will be about 95 within a few years unless we do a little more “sharing of the wealth.”
Unless we wake up and realize that wealth has to be created before it can be shared and stop penalizing business and industry, that 40 percent will soon become 50 percent and anyone who thinks we all should have some share in paying for the cost of government might as well move to Antarctica.
–Gary McGavran, Bellevue
To Timbuktu we go
As an Englishman I have watched the slow decline of the U.S. in international relations with some sadness, which I can only blame on the current administration.
So come on dear people of America, vote for Sen. Barack Obama and give yourselves and the world a fresh start.
Sen. McCain and ‘scary [Gov.] Sarah [Palin]’ must never make it to the White House.
If they do, I fear I am going to have to pack my bags and move to Timbuktu. At least then the only gas being emitted will be from passing Camels and not from an elderly politician and his doll who espouse nothing less than tired Republican rhetoric.
We wait with baited breath for a new dawn.
— Mark Allamand, London, England
What will fix greed?
Sen. Barack Obama clearly stated his plan for reducing taxes for some and raising the two highest tax rates [“Change you can’t invest in,” Northwest Voices, Oct. 23].
Those same higher rates existed in the 90s when this country was doing fine with a federal-budget surplus. Regarding our society being “wound down into a managed socialist state,” Sen. John McCain and his supporters charge Obama has a new idea to use the tax system to redistribute wealth.
Sorry, earned-income tax credits have been in play and supported by Republican and Democratic administrations since at least the 70s.
What do we call $700 billion to bail out the markets, tax incentives for farmers and businesses as well as bridges to nowhere?
Obama the socialist? Bankrupt this country in three years?
Some might argue we are on the verge of bankruptcy today. How’s your 401(k) responding to this current business-built house of cards despite the tax cut President George W. Bush passed early in his administration?
Tax cuts are generally good but they don’t necessarily fix everything, especially greed.
–Bob Garrison, Sammamish