People are being taxed into poverty, what with state tax, federal tax, tax on groceries, meal taxes at restaurants and property tax.
In my community, I know of a few senior citizens who worked all their lives to enjoy the golden years who are paying the town $20 per month to keep from having liens placed on their houses. Without the “big three” — food, life-sustaining medications and heat, seniors may die.
But now Congress wants to burden people with another 12 cent tax on gasoline, just when the constant turmoil in the Middle East is driving the price of gasoline and oil even higher.
Possible solutions, instead of the 12 cent tax:
— Cut down severely or eliminate foreign aid to countries that have one hand out to receive while holding a knife to our back in the other;
— Bring U.S. troops home from Afghanistan, and any other countries we think we have to police;
— Collect from other countries the millions of dollars owed from all previous wars (World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, etc).
I wonder how much foreign aid is in the budgets of the larger countries in Europe and Asia? Minimal, I’m sure.
One would like to think morally about the people of Iraq, but the bottom line, as always, is the oil.
What’s next for Congress? A tax on the air we breathe or the number of trees on our property?
If that 12 cent tax goes through, my congressman will lose my vote.
God help us.
George Ferguson, Sabattus
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