Editor, OBSERVER:
The other day presidential candidate Mitt Romney finally responded to the accusations that Harry Reid made about Romney's taxes.
His answer to the accusations was and I quote, "I have paid taxes every year - and a lot of taxes."
This whole issue reminds me of the talking point that Republicans were touting that 47 percent of American's don't pay taxes. This of course was not true, because it is a fact of life that so many things are taxed it is literally impossible to go through life and pay no taxes. The list of taxes we pay include sales tax, property tax, state income tax, Social Security tax, Medicare tax, tax on beer and tobacco, the list goes on and on.
It is true, however, that 47 percent of Americans don't pay federal income tax. Most of the Americans who don't pay federal income taxes are either very poor or very old. Many, however, are very rich and are able to hire smart lawyers to exploit loopholes for their clients.
I find it interesting that Romney never answered that question of whether he is one of the 47 percent of Americans who don't pay federal income taxes. Of course, Romney has "paid taxes every year" - that is a rather low bar.
Any 10-year-old who purchases a pack of chewing gum pays taxes in a given year. The question is not whether Romney pays taxes, but rather he has paid his fair share from a moral and ethical standpoint.
JOHN WOZNIAK,
Brocton
