Reflections about taxes, politics

Anyone happen to remember why the so called "Bush Tax Cut" was originally implemented? Remember when Al Gore and George Bush were debating what they would do with the proposed "surplus?" A "lock box" for Social Security was mentioned.

With hanging chads and Supreme Court decision, George Bush became president. The lock box was forgotten, the Feds worried about the effect of a "surplus" on the economy, and thus decided that said "surplus" be refunded to the people, first in a $300 refund check, then a tax cut for a limited time only. Then 9-11 occurred followed by a decade of war. The proposed "surplus" is long gone, we are deep in debt, our aging infrastructure is crumbling, and yet the tax cuts intended to balance out that proposed "surplus" remains, the sunset of which is now branded a "tax increase."

Oh, but we can't tax the "job creators." Excuse me, but where were all those jobs those "job creators" should have created during all the years with the original tax cut, and the extension thereof? Instead, during this time jobs plummeted, with only an anemic and slow recovery under the Obama administration, but a recovery none the less. Still the "job creators" want more tax cuts? To create more phantom jobs, perhaps?

I'd be willing to give up my 5% tax cut off the bottom, as was originally intended, if those of greater means would give up theirs off the top. With the mess we're in, paying our fair share in taxes is only patriotic. Eliminating the Bush, temporary, "surplus eliminating" tax cut is not a tax hike.

Incidentally, anybody remember when "moderate" was more the norm and not a dirty word? When Democrats and Republicans worked together for the good of the nation, not unilaterally for party ideology?

Darlene E. Meyer

Ephrata