LETTER TO THE EDITOR | Now’s not the time to raise taxes

Published 8:00 am Wednesday, November 19, 2008

To the editor:

Dick Hall writes in his letter to the editor (dated Nov. 15) that taxing the wealthiest Americans is a good and appropriate action.

There can always be argument about the value to the country of having income tax increases or decreases, but considering the present recession and ensuing economic uncertainty, it would not be wise to raise anyone’s taxes.

History teaches us that one of the causes of the lengthening of the Great Depression was the increase in taxes. Let’s not exacerbate our economic woes by taking money from that 5 percent who pay 40 percent of the taxes. It is not a good idea to take that much money out of the private job-producing economy.

Bill Carruthers

Clinton