Opinion

The Dems’ base at-tax: Romney returns fire

The Issue: Mitt Romney’s tax returns, which show he paid almost $2 million to the IRS and $4 million to charity.

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Mitt Romney finally disclosed his tax returns, revealing that he paid almost $2 million in taxes and contributed close to $4 million in charity last year (“Mitt Romney’s Taxes,” Editorial, Sept. 22).

Our arrogant President Obama says Romney should be paying a little more. It is not Obama’s job to tell Romney to pay more in taxes; that’s the IRS’s job.

Romney paid almost three times as much in taxes as Obama, so maybe our president should pay a little more. Obama’s tax trump card backfired in the Democrats’ faces.

Irene Gibbons

East Flushing

Now that Romney has proved he is a tax-paying American, will Sen. Harry Reid acknowledge his mistake and issue an apology?

I don’t think so. Reid is just your typical liberal hypocrite.

David D’Aversa

Oreland, Pa.

People who are not religious are free to donate to other charities.

However, in most cases, those of us who are not able to donate as much as we would like wind up paying more taxes because of those who tithe.

I know many middle-class, religious people who proudly say they never took a cent from the government. I tell them that I pay more taxes because they don’t.

I am not resentful. I believe in “redistribution,” but churchgoers need to realize that somebody is footing the bill their tithing leaves for the secular community.

While I commend anyone for giving to nonreligious charities, I have a hard time with tithing. The truly religious should support their church without any tax benefit.Suzanne Hess

Walnut Creek, Calif.

Most media accounts jump on Romney’s overall tax rate of 14.1 percent, but where is any mention of what his tax rate would have been without his huge charitable contributions?

If Romney were like Vice President Joe Biden and over 20 years gave just 0.15 percent to charity, versus the nearly 30 percent the GOP nominee contributed in 2011, his tax rate would have been much higher.

In any case, almost all of his income is either from business earnings that have already been taxed at the highest corporate rate or capital gains on long-term investments where his real return is overstated by inflation. David Carter

Tucson, Ariz.

Taxes should represent a fair contribution from society to sustain the government for the people and by the people.

Taxation should not be deemed a penalty, which I intuit to be the socialistic liberals’ pugilistic interpretation.

Based upon such a construct, those who amass wealth should be penalized and pay back pursuant to an increasingly heightened ruler, which is deemed as being owed to their less wealthy American brethren.

It is the wealthy who largely assist the unfortunate in our society by choice. The tax collector should not be the arbiter, scrutinizing and penalizing lawful, honorable behavior.

I can only pray that voters awaken from their stupor and think intelligently.

Nancy Jancourtz

Brooklyn

Only in the America of Obama, Biden and Charlie Rangel does someone who pays $2 million in taxes and gives away $4 million to the less fortunate have to apologize.

Jack McNicholas

Whitestone

Be careful what you wish for.

The administration, along with the rest of the Democrats, must be kicking themselves.

For months, they and their controlled media have been after Romney to release his tax records. It has to be killing them to see what a generous man Romney is and has been over the years.

Now we’ll have to see how the Obama-owned media and TV talking heads can make a negative out of Romney’s generosity.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be privy to the tax records of all those whining liberal Democrats?

Romney is all class.

Chris Michaels

Morganville, NJ