Taxing wealthy at a higher rate

Regarding the commentary by Austin Berg (“Don’t be fooled by Springfield’s power play,” Oct. 2), I saw nothing new, just the same threatening litany of dire catastrophes that could happen in the future if the “fair tax” amendment is approved. And the misleading implication that small business owners will be prevented from recovering.

What the commentary attempts to distract us from is what will happen if the amendment is approved: Some of the wealthiest people in the state will be paying a higher rate of tax on profit or income of more than $250,000. Will they pay any tax on what they are allowed to deduct, such as business expenses or property taxes? After the standard exemptions, the wealthy effectively are subject to a lower tax rate than the flat rate most of us believe we all pay.

Yes, approval means that the wealthy’s tax rate will be higher than they pay now, but still, in most cases, not as high as the new listed rate.

In the meantime, the rest of us — 97% of Illinois taxpayers — will pay the same or less in income taxes.

What is most telling in the commentary is the information that’s provided at the end: “Austin Berg is vice president of marketing at the Illinois Policy Institute.”It seems to me that what Berg is marketing is fear, pure and simple. — Lawrence Hunt, Chicago