Tax breaks seem only to help the wealthy

As the owner of a small business, I think it’s extremely unfair that some members of Congress want to give multi-millionaires a costly new tax break by permanently repealing the federal estate tax. And, this is in the midst of national calls for sacrifice. A few months ago they tried unsuccessfully to give billions of dollars in tax breaks to America’s biggest corporations. Financing this, along with huge increases in defense spending, will require further raid on our Social Security system.

Our nation is currently struggling to provide quality education and healthcare, protect Social Security and Medicare, meet housing and transportation needs, and bolster homeland security for all.

Can we really afford to give the wealthiest 2 percent of estate holders an extra $850 billion over 20 years?

Instead of helping the super-rich get richer through complete repeal, let’s permanently reform the estate tax to ensure that small business owners like myself, family farmers and the vast majority of Americans never have to pay it.

Just as the Senate held firm against new corporate tax breaks, it must now also vote to prevent permanent repeal of the estate sax. I hope Sens. Murray and Cantwell will do the right thing.

Snohomish

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