To the editor:

Once again George Bush finds a way to hurt the working and middle class, with the spin that he’s helping them. Look at his “solution” to health care. Bush proposes a $15,000 tax deduction to offset the cost of health insurance.

What he really means is raising the standard deduction from the current $10,300, an actual increase of only $4,700. In a 25 percent tax bracket, the actual tax savings is only $1,175.

Will $1,175 buy a family policy? I know my family policy costs $11,184 annually, so I’m still short about 10 grand.

I am fortunate enough to buy my family policy through my employer, and, thus, with pre-tax income. Bush’s proposal, however, would change that. Again at 25 percent tax, I would pay an additional $2,796 in taxes – more than double my tax “savings” from the increased standard deduction. Bottom line: Bush wants to raise my taxes by $1,621 and have me believe he’s helping me afford health care.

Mark Twain once said, “Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.” Either case makes me sick. If only I could afford a doctor.

David Reber,

Lawrence