Estate Taxes
If Michael Ramirez, in his editorial cartoon of Sept. 5, presumes to speak on behalf of “John Q. Public,” he should not deliberately try to mislead others. The average American will never have an estate large enough to owe even one penny in estate tax, but his family will likely see many benefits--from school lunches to military pay to Medicare--from the revenue which that tax raises.
PAUL W. SHAPIRO
San Juan Capistrano
* Regarding the Clinton-Gore veto of the tax on the dead: If what they say is true about the tax only affecting a few Americans, how is it that they also say that repeal would cost the Treasury $105 billion in the first 10 years and $750 billion in the 10 years after repeal is complete? Those few Americans are certainly paying a lot in estate taxes.
BURKE MATTSSON
Hacienda Heights
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