The tax reform bill passed by the House is a blatant giveaway to the rich at the expense of many middle-income taxpayers, especially here in Maine, and future generations, who will have to pay the $1.5 trillion cost. And for what? Elimination of the estate tax (which only taxes the top 2/10ths of 1 percent of taxpayers now, even fewer in Maine), elimination of the alternative minimum tax (again, mostly targeting top 5 percent of taxpayers), and the elimination of the top-bracket Affordable Care Act surtax, which disproportionately favor very high-income taxpayers.

Who will be hurt? Many Mainers who are unaware of the tax increase heading their way due to the elimination or massive reduction of the state and local tax deduction, loss of the personal exemption and elimination of the medical deduction (which keeps many Mainers in nursing homes or assisted living facilities from paying tax now).

Continuing charitable deductions, property taxes up to $10,000 and mortgage interest will only help couples with total itemized deductions greater than $24,000. That excludes most Mainers.

This “reform” package primarily favors very rich taxpayers with incomes over $400,000, relatively few in Maine, at a cost of $1.5 trillion over 10 years. The Senate should try to develop a bipartisan bill that really reduces taxes for everyone, not just the fabulously wealthy.

Write to Sen. Susan Collins, as I have done, and ask her to vote against this unfair tax reform proposal.

David Wakelin

South Portland


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