Reading Eagle, 4/21/2022- Letter: GOP senator’s plan would badly hurt the middle class

By Ed Ratkoski

I was appalled when I read Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott’s 11-point plan that would raise taxes on seniors and working class Americans. His plan also includes provisions to sunset Medicare and Social Security, eliminating the health care and retirement that I and others have spent a lifetime paying into to support our retirement years.

Scott’s rationale on this middle-class assault is that it is necessary for working Americans to pay for the 2017 tax cuts that reduced the average tax rate for corporations and the wealthy down to an average of 8%.

In contrast, President Joe Biden, supported by U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, is calling on Congress to pass legislation requiring the wealthiest American households to pay a minimum of 20% on all of their income, including unrealized investment income that currently is untaxed. The richest Americans could no longer do what they can now — pay no tax whatsoever or very little tax on their income. Too often they escape paying income tax forever.

When faced with the decision between continuing the current taxation plan that allowed Elon Musk to increase his wealth by an eye-popping $150 billion and paying an additional $1,500 in taxes myself or to support the Democrats’ plan that would require the wealthy to pay their fair share and maintain my Social Security and Medicare benefits; I did not hesitate to choose.

I support Houlahan and her efforts to protect our rights and financial security.