Letting tax breaks for millionaires expire isn't the same as raising taxes

Ken Coleman’s letter “Paying for nothing…” misses some important points like the fact that President Obama isn’t asking to raise taxes on anyone, he’s simply refusing to further extend tax breaks for millionaires that were set to expire in 2010.

Coleman also fails mention that while many Americans don’t pay federal income taxes they do pay sales taxes and whether directly or indirectly they pay property taxes among other forms of taxation. He also fails to recognize that the reason they pay no federal income taxes is that they earn near poverty level wages or have no job at all. Before you say they should get a job there are 3 to 4 unemployed for every job available so even if every job were filled there would be plenty of unemployed left.

If Mr. Coleman and those who believe as he does really want everyone to pay taxes they should push for full employment policies and raising the minimum wage to a livable level. If someone who works a full time job they should be able to feed, clothe, house and provide medical care for their families. When anyone working for a living can be self sufficient then we can talk about more people paying taxes.

Coleman should also consider that the tax rates President Obama wants to return to are the same rates that went with low unemployment while the rates we have now were supposed to create jobs and have not even when left in place for over a decade.