THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 21, 1995 TAG: 9506210007
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 32 lines
Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes. Virgil's caveat might well be said of the Republicans. I fear the Republicans when they are seemingly bearing gifts.
Rep. Bill Archer, chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, declared the 82-year-old income tax ``too broken to be fixed'' and said: ``It must be replaced.''
The Republicans are preparing to relieve us of the onus of preparing our income taxes and will replace this reasonably equitable method of taxation with a national sales tax or a value-added tax. I'm sure this proposal will meet with considerable acceptance by the rich and well-to-do. They will be paying considerably less taxes proportionately than the poor and middle class.
The poor and middle class will be taxed on almost 100 percent of spending. The rich, whose taxable purchases will amount to less than a third of their income, will reap the harvest.
Let's not be hoodwinked by the myth of tax relief upon the abolition of the income tax. Somebody has to pay to keep this country running. But the burden should not be on the poor and middle class.
EDWARD J. GANLEY
Melfa, June 7, 1995 by CNB