Editor:
To build on Frances K. Ransley’s letter of July 17 (Mailbox), more than a third of the federal government’s income comes from the four most populous states. According to USA Facts, there are a total of 19 states that receive less than they pay for, if you wish to look at it that way.
But back in the day when there were not red states and blue states, we all contributed as Americans, so that all Americans could have services that the 16th Amendment finances through income taxes for individuals and businesses. Income taxes are “to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States. The 16th Amendment specifies that “… all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States.”
I’m no lawyer, but I know that it is illegal not to pay income taxes, whether you are an individual or a business. It is illegal for your employer to refuse to withhold your income tax from your salary. Al Capone, for all his gangster activities, ultimately ended up at Alcatraz convicted of tax evasion.
Now that our federal taxes are being directed to activities that cause most of us distress, we are still legally bound to pay for it. What people can do, is to reduce their income as much as possible to avoid paying so much in taxes. Unfortunately, it looks like the Big Beautiful Bill will accomplish that without much effort on our part.
Carol Moné, Trinidad
This article appears in A Saturday at the Rodeo.