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A Sad State of
Unfair Taxation
To the Editor:
Pennsylvania is a state with many fees and taxes, and most of them are unfair to the poor and working-class families. A classic example is the 6% sales tax. When a working-class family needs to make a fairly large purchase, perhaps $5,000 for a necessary vehicle, they will probably need to arrange a loan for the purchase price, plus extra insurance on the vehicle and then borrow $300 for the sales tax. As you can see, the sales tax is an added burden. Let's assume that the registration fee, another State tax, has already been paid, and that the license plate can be transferred, for another fee, to the new vehicle. Yes, the sales tax, the registration fee, the transfer fee and the fee for the driver's license can add up quickly and become a real burden for poor and working-class families. The wealthy don't have a problem with paying these fees, plus the sales tax, and won't have to pay interest and other costs for a loan.
Another example of unfair State tax is the flat-rate 3.07% personal income tax. The income tax for a working-class family with an annual income of $30,000 is $921. That tax money would go a long way towards paying for food, clothing and shelter for them. A wealthy family doesn't have a problem with paying for these necessities. One of the worst State taxes for the poor and the working-class families is the gas tax. Pennsylvania's gas tax is presently over 60 cents a gallon, and it is the second highest in the nation. In the past, the gas has been used to pay the State Police and to pay for the new highways and repair old roads. However, most of the damage to the highways comes from heavy trucks belonging to the wealthy corporations. The State is taxing the wrong people, and last year the corporate income tax was lowered from 9.99% to 4.99% by the year 2031. Local school districts and local and county governments also have unfair taxes available for their use, including per-capita taxes, earned income taxes, occupational assessment taxes, real estate transfer fees and those unpopular, but fairer, property taxes. So, what is the solution for the elimination of these unfair school taxes and unfair taxes at the local, county, and State levels of government? The best solution is tax reform to eliminate these unfair taxes and to adopt a graduated income tax for all levels of government and for school districts. Is there any chance that true tax reform will be done any time soon? Probably not! Why? Legislative salaries are presently around $90,000, and the congressional leaders receive over $100,000 and the governor's salary is close to $200,000. Would they want to increase income taxes on themselves? In the past, our local state representatives and senators have made no effort to push for tax reform, but they have supported giving state tax money to support local businesses at the expense of the poor and working-class families.
David L. Faust
Selinsgrove