Good for you, sir

January 25,2012

Dear Mr. President:

     I am glad you are finally taking your gloves off to counter the Republican backed money making machine (while not stirckly illegal they are definitely  immoral).   Like Leo Derocher said ‘Nice guys finish last.’so stop being a gentleman  to those who are hurting the country. The Congress is unpopular!  Emulate Harry Truman and make their calculated obstructionism the target for this Fall’s election.  Remember you can fool some of the people all of the time; all the people some of the time: but you can’t fool all the peo[ple all the time.  The reason that I voted for you is that you seemed to be a fighter.  GET OUT THERE AND FIGHT.

    Three cheers for your reccomended minimum tax of 30% tax on all individual incomes from al sources  of at least $1,000,000.   You have proposed a viable solution to the country’s financial problems .  There will be loud screa ms from most Republicans, a few Democrats, and most people making $1,000,000 a year.  I can hear their litany now - ‘He wants to increase taxes’.  Actually your  proposal would mean that anyone with that income would have to try to struggle along with only an after tax income of $700,000 or more!  All us middle income people will hear is TAX INCREASE and not what it will mean to us personally.  Not only will the average Joe not see his taxes go up but the rich will have to shoulder their  fair share of a burden that most of us have labored under all our lives.  This government windfall will, if the rich don’t find yet another way to avoid this honest tax, soon wipe out the huge financial deficit that we are presently leaving for future generations.

    The Congress has received a very low approval rating for years.  But the average Congressman doesn’t have to worry about overall rating - just his or her rating with his or her constituents.  Each incumbant has learned what avoidance buttons to push such as taxes, gay marriage, abortion, or helping the poor in any way.  Once they have learned what lesser issues will  work, they will harpon them and essentially get elected for life.

     An issue that has only received minor trial balloons so far  is SOCIAL SECURITY.  The rich and too many Congressmen would like to downplay this somehow.  One recent ploy to get an oar in is to reduce the annual increase.  To a millionaire this income is in itself essentially nothing, but the amount paid out to the rest of us runs into the billions and too many fat cats would llke to tap into this money for their own already swollen coffers!   For most retired people this is a major part of their income, and for too many this is their only income!  Unfortunately many of these people don’t vote except when influenced by catchy meaninglyless slogans tailored to appeal to their prejudices like “Tea Party”. 

P. S.  To let you know where I am coming from.  I am  76 year old white male raised in New Hampshire by a working class Republican Protestant family.  This is my ifrst letter to a President - MY President.