Differing views of tax reform bill

To Rep. Costello: Across your Congressional District, in its suburbs and rural communities, Pennsylvanians are watching events in Washington with growing concern. We don’t want special treatment, but we do need basic fairness.

That’s why we need you to vote no on the disaster of a tax bill that is brewing in Congress. We don’t belong to the same party, and we don’t always agree on issues, but we’re writing you as fellow public servants and, more importantly, constituents who have seen you buck your party to stand up for your district.

This year alone, you voted to stop Republicans from repealing Obamacare and gutting the health insurance on which so many Pennsylvanians rely. You’ve also been working to preserve CHIP, which the GOP has brought to the brink of lapsing, throwing some 175,000 Pennsylvania kids off health insurance.

We thank you for your efforts in this regard, however, we need you to stand up for your district again. You have a critical chance to do so by opposing the tax bill making its way through Congress.

We know you already voted for it on the floor of the House. Many GOP members did so with assurances from their leaders that it would get better. But, it has only gotten worse – and, moreover, it poses a direct affront to positions you have taken in the past.

The bill mandates $25 billion in cuts to Medicare, and ends the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act – which will cause costs to skyrocket for the elderly and the sick. These provisions should be unacceptable to you, as someone who has opposed eliminating the ACA.

You have also spoken out against using this bill to allow for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Range. But, in order to secure someone else’s vote, that unacceptable provision has been added to this bill.

Even without those provisions, the underlying bill is still a calamity for Pennsylvania cities and towns and those who live in them. Let’s be clear: 62 percent of all benefits in this bill go to the richest one percent of Americans. It will raise taxes on 87 million middle class families across Pennsylvania and our nation. The bill also slashes the deduction that working Americans take for paying our local taxes on our federal forms. That disastrous move alone will negatively impact our respective constituents. Finally, the bill will balloon the federal deficit; and pave the way for future cuts to Medicare and Social Security.

We know you will be under immense pressure to vote for this tax scheme, from the President on down. But you’ve faced that kind of pressure before. Now it is time to put the people of your district over your party. Please do the right thing and vote no on final passage of this tax scheme.

Dianne Herrin, mayor-elect, West Chester Borough Council

Tax code that works

Although I don’t always agree with Congressman Costello on everything, I feel it is important to thank him for supporting our President’s tax reform plan. It looks like leaders in Washington are finally on track to the most important legislation we’ll see this year— Merry Christmas to the middle class and small businesses of PA! We welcome the long awaited reforms to our country’s federal tax code.

This is an issue that small business advocates have pushed for the last few years because it will benefit small town Americans and all workers nationwide.

If Pennsylvania’s Congressmen follow through with the promise to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act soon, our state’s small businesses and workers will reap the benefit from it. That includes lower rates, a simplified structure, and changes to other details with steep price tags.

Many small businesses like ours that are organized as passthrough entities pay even more than the staggering 35% corporate tax rate. Pass through entities can see their taxes go as high as 39.6%. Bringing this rate down will allow businesses of all sizes to keep their hardearned capital, scale their businesses, and take care of their employees.

With exorbitant health care cost increases and ever growing government mandates, small businesses have been feeling the squeeze more and more each year. Small town USA is working harder for less. Americans need this tax reform.

I encourage our Pennsylvania Congressmen to support the proposed tax plan and work with other leaders to pass these reforms once and for all.

Deborah Chang Abel Abel Brothers Towing and

Automotive, Inc.