I wish to take exception with Professor Richard H. Straavaldsen (Voice, March 24) and his negative commentary on the concept of a flat tax. The flat tax is by far the most realistically fair way for an income tax to be levied.
With a flat tax, everyone pays the same economic proportion, as they should. Although it is a popular misconception that people who have more should pay more (and indeed, even with a flat tax, those who have more do pay more), to mandate that they must pay a greater percentage of their income simply because their income is greater is downright wrong. It is the equivalent of stealing, no matter how benign the motivation.
Saying that “those of us who have been blessed with the most wealth should be willing to contribute more to support this nation and help the less fortunate among us” sounds wonderfully altruistic, but it is misguided altruism at best–and self-serving at worst–to believe people can and should be forced by law to share their good fortune.
One doesn’t need degrees in economics and business to know that fair is fair.
