Letters to the Editor for August 26

Here are today’s Letters to the Editors…

Submitted by Jim Paul of Levittown:

In response to Mike Falkevitz’s letter:

I don’t know Steve Cickay at all, but I feel the need to respond. You seem to be saying don’t vote for this person because he used to work for the IRS and therefore he’s out to screw the American people.

The fact that he worked for them doesn’t mean he had any say in taking your taxes or screwing the American people. Whatever position(s) he had there was just that, a position, similar to one at any large employer. I too, used to work at the IRS, albeit a very short time. Would you assume I am out to screw the public also? Is the janitor at the IRS out to screw you too?

Everyone hates the IRS, and some have even suggested abolishing them. If that were to happen who would collect taxes due? As it is, they are not able to collect everything that is due. Without the IRS doing their job, where would our country get the money to defend ourselves? The IRS is just the collection agency for the Govt. Congress is the one who makes the laws that determine how much people pay.

As far as PA taxes, our state income tax has been the same rate for over 20 years. We rank 42nd in highest state taxes. Considering that 7 states have no tax, that means only one state has a lower tax rate than ours. (tax-rates.org) PA also doesn’t tax certain types of incomes that many states do, such as unemployment and pensions. All things considered, PA isn’t a bad place to live, tax-wise.

I am not saying that I want our state tax increased any more than the next guy does, but the fact is, it is not unreasonable to raise it.

Re: the 7 states: the states with no income tax make their income by other sources such as sales taxes. Florida, for instance, extends their sales tax to things such as food and clothing that PA doesn’t. This put more of the state tax burden on consumers (including tourists) and less on residents. So, residents in those 7 states are paying one way or another.

If you have some other reason to not vote for Mr. Cickay, then just say that, but to bash the guy because he got up every morning his whole professional career and went to work for an employer that you dislike is not fair.

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