Permanent income tax cuts are needed

I am confused. What I've been led to believe was that paychecks would contain an additional $13 in them starting June 1, and that is a lie. Well, not a complete boldfaced lie because if an employee goes to his payroll department and gets them to change his/her withholding form more money will appear in the paycheck.

The $13 per week is really the result of dividing the 30 weeks left from June 1 to Dec. 31 into the $400 tax credit. And, it is a one-year thing claimed on the income tax form in 2010 that probably won't stimulate anybody, let alone the current economy.

What will stimulate the current economy is the extension of unemployment welfare weeks by 20 and the increase in welfare checks by $25 put in the package. That comes out to be $500 total per person. And, the money will be in the regular checks this year. Heck, all welfare checks will increase by $25 per week.

That plus increased food stamps should get the economy rolling along, quickly. Also, I did not hear that the changes were limited to one year. If you want to help the lower-paid taxpayers, in a subsequent bill, change the 10 percent income tax rate to 5 percent and the 15 percent income tax rate to 10 percent. That would change the amount of withholding tax taken out of paychecks and give money to working people to spend on a weekly basis.

That means a single person would be paying about 5 percent for up to $35,000 and 10 percent up to $70,000. And, a couple filing jointly would be paying about 5 percent for up to $70,000 and 10 percent up to $100,000. Now, that would be tax relief and if made permanent, it sure would stimulate the economy. Oh yeah, leave the higher tax rates alone.

Bob Druktanis

Lindenhurst