Taxpayers, government can find tax solution

To the Editor:

According to a recent report, poor and working-class taxpayers pay a larger percentage of their incomes for taxes than wealthier taxpayers. Hence, they are not being taxed according to their ability to pay; and this is wrong. What is the remedy for this inequity?

In my opinion, at the federal level, there isn’t a remedy because of the attitude and the wealth of the incoming administration. However, there are remedies at the state and local levels.

In my opinion, at the State level, the BEST remedy is to enact a graduated income tax, based on the ability to pay, instead of the flat-rate personal income tax, and then eliminate the use of the gas and sales tax.

An alternate remedy at the State level would be to reduce the rates of taxation on these two taxes and increase the corporate income tax rate. In my opinion, this would reduce the tax burden on low-income and working-class taxpayers, and shift it to the wealthier taxpayers.

At the local level, in my opinion, the BEST remedy is to replace the local taxes, which I feel are unfair, with a “legalized” graduated-income tax, based on the ability to pay. An alternate remedy would be to increase real-estate tax rates, and then eliminate the use of earned-income tax and other unfair local taxes. This can be done by local and county governments and by school districts without enacting new legislation. In my opinion, this would have the effect of switching the tax burden to the wealthier taxpayers.

It won’t be easy, but if enough taxpayers support their elected representatives at the State and local levels of government, they will find a workable remedy.

David L. Faust

Selinsgrove