Proposed Tax Cuts

William Gale’s “Are Americans Really Overtaxed?” (Commentary, Feb. 24) cites a variety of numbers and implies that current tax rates are not excessive, but makes no mention of value received.

On every side one reads and hears about corruption and incompetence in government, the shortcomings of the educational and judicial systems, deterioration of the infrastructure, etc.

The question of whether Americans are over- or under-taxed can only be meaningfully considered in view of what they get for their money.

WILLIAM A. MUELLER

Sherman Oaks

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Gale says Americans aren’t overtaxed, because median-income people pay only 26% to 30% of their income in taxes. In Business, you report that home-care workers paid by the county are unionizing. Long ago, the moral premise of unionization was that masses of workers should be protected from a handful of greedy industrialists. Nowadays, it’s the taxpayers who need collective-bargaining power. Vote for candidates who will cut taxes.

MIMI GERSTELL

Pasadena

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Republicans are intent on cutting taxes to the tune of $743 billion (Feb. 23), shouting the “feel-good” slogan, “It’s your money!” They neglect to tell us that the savings of thousands for the affluent will amount to “hamburger money” for most of us. If they were serious about doing something right for the country, they would address the national debt instead of a tax-break payback to their corporate friends.

Yes, the tax surplus is our money, but so is the national debt our debt, and we were always taught to take care of obligations first. The right thing to do is to pay down this debt and to use some of the surplus to strengthen Social Security. Are you listening, Sen. Trent Lott?

LEN ZIRALDO

West Hills