Letters to the Editor: The GOP has conned us into thinking the poor are holding us back, not the rich

To the editor: David Cay Johnston is correct in calling out the duplicitous nature of the U.S. tax system, but I don’t think he adequately pointed out how we got this way.

The Republican Party’s “Great Con” has convinced the middle class that what is holding people back economically is not the rich with their tax lawyers and their tax loopholes; rather, it’s the poor, who might cheat the government out of some food stamps. It’s not the people hoarding billions; it’s the people sleeping on the sidewalks.

It’s sad that rank-and-file Republicans cannot see this con for what it is. We can’t afford healthcare for all, but we can afford to spend more money on “defense” than the next several countries combined. The GOP fog obfuscates the fact that while you might have more taxes for free healthcare, you won’t have to pay for healthcare — no more surprise $500 bills for a Band-Aid.

This is only the tip of the iceberg.

Denys Arcuri, Indio

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To the editor: Kudos to Johnston for showing how unfair our federal tax system has become.

While the vast majority of Americans must bear their fair share of the national tax burden because their employers automatically deduct the money from their paychecks, those in the highest tax bracket escape such scrutiny and are on the “honor” system.

However, we know that people like President Trump have no honor when it comes to paying their fair share of taxes.

Johnston’s next piece on this disgraceful situation should be about the guilty parties in Congress who voted for and support this injustice.

Barbara Siry, Laguna Woods