Fairness needed in tax codes

The GOP political leaders responded to President Obama’s revenue proposal by calling it class warfare. They have got to be kidding. I recently read that 25 of the highest-paid executives were paid more in compensation than the corporations they worked for paid in taxes. With the capital gains tax of only 15 percent, there are many wealthy people who are living off the fat of the land, earning dividends of $50,000 or $1 million or $50 million dollars, and only being taxed at a rate of 15 percent, while the average American worker is toiling daily and in the 27 percent income tax bracket.

Congress needs to quit with the greed, dishonesty, stupidity and political shenanigans. First, let’s reduce the size of Congress from 535 to 250. The laid-off congressman can join Toastmasters so they can continue to hear themselves talk. The reduced size of Congress hopefully should also result in fewer corporate lobbyists.

As far as class warfare, let’s eliminate all the loopholes, incentives, inducements, stimulus and gadgetry from everybody’s individual income tax. Get rid of all those deductions on the 1040 form including child care, education, earned income, mortgage expense, reduced capital gains tax. Let’s replace it with an individual flat tax.

Same with corporate. Let’s eliminate all the complication and unfairness, and replace with a corporate pay a flat tax of 25 percent, which is probably more than they collectively pay now.

Please, let’s all be fair and not manipulate the facts for our own advantage. This is not them versus us. Let’s set aside the greed, stupidity and dishonesty so that we can put our country back on the right path.

David Hrdlicka

Bartlett