Taxes are too high now.

For Americans who work and comply with the law, government exacts over one-third of our hard-earned money in taxes every year. From January to mid-May, we are actually working to support local, state and national government. That is too much of a load. On the federal level, even through the Reagan tax cut years and now the Bush tax cut years, the income of the federal government has risen steadily. Income is not the problem.

Sen. John Kerry has earned quite a reputation for flip-flopping on major issues of our country. However, in his lengthy term in the U.S. Senate he has been most consistent on one issue – taxes. He consistently votes to increase taxes on Americans and never votes to lower them.

A couple of years ago, Sen. Kerry floated the idea of raising the federal gasoline tax 50 cents. If he had his way, I would be paying $2.42 for a gallon of gasoline instead of the $1.92 I paid recently.

President Bush’s record on taxes is also very consistent. He has not only lowered our taxes but has sent us a rebate check during his first term in office. His plan to make the tax decreases permanent and do away with the estate tax is what I think we need.

K. Scott Morrison,

New Sharon