To the editor:

The framers of U.S. tax code understood that all taxpayers cannot afford the same contribution. They knew that the lowest-income 15 percent of Americans will need the most benefits and can afford the least payments. Therefore they created a tax bracket system that taxed these Americans little. To compensate for this, they created the highest bracket (40 percent) so that the top 3-5 percent or less of American earners would compensate for the lost income from the lowest 15 percent. And the 80 percent in the middle class simply paid their fair share.

Today the tax brackets of the middle class and the wealthy are closer compared to the original 25-28 percent versus 40 percent. So now, the middle class is shouldering much more of the costs. So when an elected official is looking to retain the lower brackets for the wealthy, they are actually saying to the middle class they want you to continue to help support government programs to a greater degree than originally planned, instead of moving the top bracket up just 5 percent.

Supposedly the wealthiest individuals are the “job creators.” Let’s talk individual taxes here, not corporate taxes. The president of a bank or investment firm is not an employer. The company is. These are the “bailout recipients” who the conservatives are railing against while trying to guarantee them continued lower taxes.