Social Question

ETpro's avatar

Do you think the President actually read my letter? (See Details)

Asked by ETpro (34605points) April 13th, 2011

I sent the following letter and actually heard bits of it in the President’s speech today. Could it be it actually got read? Or are the similarities just coincidence.

Dear White House Staff,

Take a page from the Republican strategist and PR guru, Frank Lundz. Don’t talk about a tax increase on the rich. Instead, call for tax SIMPLIFICATION. Who could possibly be against that? If you actually removed the hundreds of thousands of loopholes available to the rich, and they really paid 35% instead of a real rate more like 20%, you would bring in FAR more revenue than you would by returning to the Clinton top rate of 39.6% but leaving the loopholes in place.

You would also drastically simplify the tax code, which even those that got hit with a larger tax bite might welcome.

Do the same to corporate taxes. Reduce corporate taxes, but change things so all US Corporations pay on profits from US operations. Currently 60% or more pay nothing. Only little companies like mine get stuck paying one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world, because we can’t afford to take advantage of a tax code set up for the oligarchs and multinationals. Yet we are the engine that drives job growth here. Simplify corporate taxes and even the playing field for all. Give us all a rate that lets us better compete with businesses off-shore who pay far lower rates.

There was great criticism of GE recently because they paid no US corporate income taxes. But their tax filing was over 10,000 pages and they had a staff of over 9,000 accountants and lawyers, plus a plethora of contractors to file that mountain of paper. They would save money having a simple form to fill in and paying a reasonable tax rate instead of generating a filing so complex it can’t possibly be audited.

No new taxes. Tax simplification instead.
“Just a spoonful of sugar
Helps the medicine go down,
In a most delightful way!”

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

12 Answers

KateTheGreat's avatar

There’s not much of a chance that the president will read your letter. Here’s a link

Cruiser's avatar

Read by BO or not it was a nice lettter @ETpro! +6

KateTheGreat's avatar

But I agree with @Cruiser! Great letter.

optimisticpessimist's avatar

Great letter. I think you expressed the sentiments of a lot of people.

JLeslie's avatar

I think someone on staff read it. I think probably other great minds thought of some of the same ideas you did. Maybe they did get some ideas, or reinforcement from your letter? Reinforcement that the American public would be receptive to these ideas. I hope you get a response to your letter :).

augustlan's avatar

I don’t know, but I’d vote for you in a heartbeat. ETpro for President!

YARNLADY's avatar

If he did read it, you would receive a note telling you that. May I suggest you send copies to your congressional representatives as well.

AmWiser's avatar

Your letter will be read and you will possibly get a response. Who will read it and respond to it is another story. Hopefully yours will be one to get to the POTUS desk. Good luck.
I wrote a letter to the POTUS requesting greetings for my Mom’s 90th birthday and Mom received a wonderful greeting, hand signed by Barack and Michelle.

ETpro's avatar

@KatetheGreat Yeah, I know. That’s why I addressed it to staff.

@Cruiser, @KatetheGreat & @optimisticpessimist Thanks! :-)

@JLeslie Thanks. I did here elements of the ideas in the speech, but I am sure many others wrote with similar thoughts. Still, I like to think the effort was of some use.

@augustlan Ha! Way too many skeletons in my closet. I’ll give you the Shermanesque, “If drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve.”

@YARNLADY I am going to do exactly that. Thanks.

@AmWiser I think most of the ones that get to Obama’s desk are ones where people share compelling personal stories that make good political fodder for a speech.

Rarebear's avatar

The problem is that we’re dealing with a representative government where making tax law is like grinding sausage.

ETpro's avatar

@Rarebear It’s worse than that. It’s sausage making where lobbyist for the rat meat and bull dung industries entertain Congress to the tune of $360 million a year to make sure lots of rat meat and BS ends up in our sausage.

Rarebear's avatar

@ETpro Now you have a good understanding of how government works. Well done!

Answer this question

Login

or

Join

to answer.
Your answer will be saved while you login or join.

Have a question? Ask Fluther!

What do you know more about?
or
Knowledge Networking @ Fluther