Letter: Regardless of election result, tax hikes are inevitable

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November 13, 2012

Letter: Regardless of election result, tax hikes are inevitable

Anonymous The Eagle-Tribune The Eagle Tribune Wed Nov 14, 2012, 12:09 AM EST

To the editor:

I was playing golf on a long, par four hole with two of my friends. After our drives we each had fairly long shots to the green. Each of us selected a three wood for our second shot. My ball hit well short of the green and rolled on. One of my friend’s ball hit just short of the green and bounced on and my other friend’s ball hit the green on the fly and bit. The point being all three shots looked different but the end results were the same.

Regardless of who got elected president the country will experience a tax increase. Whether it is in the form of an Obama rate hike or Romney’s elimination of tax deductions and loopholes, or the expiration of the Bush tax cuts on Jan. 1, 2013, the end result will be the same.

The biggest expenditure the government has is the defense budget, Social Security is second, and Medicare is third. The first two are untouchable. The Republicans will not agree to any cuts in defense spending and cutting Social Security would cause a major revolt amongst senior citizens. That leaves only Medicare that would be eligible for major deductions. Deductions of the magnitude needed to balance the budget would decimate the program. And there is not enough money in other spending areas of government to achieve the goals needed.

It is time for the Republican-controlled House to realize that blocking every proposal that resembles a tax increase is not in the best interest of the country or its people. If the Republicans want to rebound as a party they should start playing ball in the spirit of cooperation instead of staying in the locker room.

Oh, and by the way, the three of us each two-putted. The hole was halved.

John W. Conte

Haverhill