Get your facts straight Mr. Ehrlick (Staples World, May 20)

For this individual to say we are not paying enough taxes is hypocrisy, but that is normal for liberals.

If you look up the federal income tax rates for 2010 you will find that a single person making less than $34,000 per year is computed as 15 percent.

How are you doing on accuracy so far?

Now for the state of Minnesota.

If that single earns over $22,770 the rate is 7.05 percent. Let’s see, 15 percent plus seven percent came out to 22 percent when I went to school. Of course, Democrat math can probably find a way to make that add up to nine percent, but when we mail in the check my bet is it will be at the 22 percent level.

So we have to go back to 1950 to find a lower tax rate. Okay, 1950 it is. The no new taxes slogan that you deride in your ramblings does not limit itself to whatever imaginary rate you came up with. There is much more to a person’s tax load than nine percent. In Minnesota in 1950 we did not have a sales tax, now we do, 6.875 percent. In Republican math that would be considered an increase in taxes and new since 1950. Next time you go to Wal-Mart or Macy’s check the sales slip, there is a line for sales tax, add it up.

When we put a gallon of gas in our car we pay over twice as much in gas tax than we paid for the gallon of gas and the tax in 1950. Even Gov. Pawlently could easily see that the gas tax has increased. This gas tax by the way was supposed to take care of our roads and bridges. It was doing fine until the Democrats decided to use it for all kinds of things besides roads, like bicycle trails and multi million dollar scales to weigh trucks. In 1950, weigh stations were a scale and small building.

How about Social security and Medicare? These are also taxes and I bet even the Democrats notice it is being taken from their pay check. We could have Sara Palin come in and explain to you that these have increased over the years as well and Medicare is new since 1950. And why is Social Security in trouble? Because the Democrats have been spending the money on other things. What did they leave for an IOU in the SS bank? Treasury notes.

By the way, has anyone noticed if their personal property taxes have increased since 1950? I mean, some of this is to fund our schools, you now, we must need to pay a lot more, because they are crumbling. Perhaps we could get the union to give back to the school district the amount they contribute to the Democrat national committee, you know, the money that they get from their members for those over inflated union contracts that taxpayers fund. Oh, no, wouldn’t want to talk about that would we? The unions need money.

Now how about them terrible people that do things like drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes. Ask one of these people how much their taxes went up since 1950. Or even last year. How about car license plates, hunting and fishing licenses, building permits, boat, snowmobile, four-wheeler and other registrations. They are are taxes, too, and most are new since 1950 and all are higher.

Don’t believe someone who tells you they have the facts. As the saying goes, “Liars figure and figures lie.” Please, check out what I have said and check out what Mr. Ehrlick said. Decide for yourself who is closer to the truth.

God bless
Glenn Olson,
Staples, Minn.