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Monday's letters: Don't fall for the tax cut ruse

 
Published Nov. 10, 2017

Tax bill

Don't take your eye off the ball

The rush is on. The Republican Congress is rushing to pass a modest tax cut for the middle class while giving corporations a massive tax cut. While taking away some of the tax deductions from ordinary taxpayers, they have kept most corporate deductions intact. This will make many corporations pay almost nothing in taxes since many never paid the 35 percent rate to begin with. The average rate paid by corporate America is 18 percent.

Another reason Republicans are in such a rush for this supposedly job-creating tax cut is they may not get another opportunity to starve the beast, which is there ultimate goal. When the deficits are so high in three or four years, the next attack will be on Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid, since it will be almost impossible to raise taxes. To me, this was always the Republicans' goal. They have not liked these programs since there inception.

Stay alert, America. Don't be fooled by the shiny object in one hand (small tax cuts) while the large corporate giveaways and dismantling of essential social programs are happening.

Anthony Artemisio, Weeki Wachee

Middle class needs a break

As a graduate student, mother of two and small business owner, I am horrified to see all the cuts to tax deductions being proposed. My husband and I are both in graduate school and we can only afford this because his program is funded, meaning he teaches to earn tuition forgiveness. Our daughter is also a senior in college and working to build a better life for herself. It is appalling that it is even suggested that the lower and middle classes should be expected to carry the burden while corporations receive benefit after benefit.

Constituents are not corporations. We are teachers, nurses, firefighters, service industry workers and students working for the American dream. Creating even more burden for these Americans, these Floridians, while supporting corporations is only creating a larger divide between the corporations making billions and those being crushed by low wages and the proposed loss of tax benefits.

I'm asking all our Florida members of Congress to not support these budget proposals. Leave our real estate taxes, teacher expenses, moving expenses, student tax benefits and all the other small but much-needed breaks we have alone. We need these breaks significantly more than the corporations do.

Dana Williams, Tampa

'Hope Scholarships' for bullying victims proposed | Nov. 10

How to deal with bullies

Evidently state Rep. Byron Donalds is out of touch with what is going on in our public school system. A voucher or changing schools for bullied children won't help the matter of bullying. The school system needs to address the bully, who normally comes from abusive households.

Follow what New York did and fine the parents of students who bully instead of taking taxpayers' money to cover private schools or busing to another public school. It stops the system of abuse when child and parents are called out and fined.

Annette Dearing, Clearwater