I used to think I was smart and worked hard, and that was what got me from being poor to being rich, but thanks to you, I now know I was a dummy for working so hard, sacrificing and working 14 hour days 7 days a week. I was, according to you, just an ordinary guy, just like everyone else who worked hard, I was not really smarter than anyone else, and I sacrificed, and took risks for nothing. All those people who had jobs over the years, thanks to me starting my business, should really not feel any gratitude to me. They really need to thank the government for making all of it possible. Here I thought I was the one meeting payroll, when all along it was the government. Now you have shown me the light and I think I should pay 40% taxes instead of zero like the 50% smart, hard working union guys, who spent a lifetime not sacrificing and risking nothing. It is only fair that they pay nothing and get healthcare paid for by me. I am sure they all worked 60-80 hour weeks, especially those teachers who support your campaign with my tax dollars paid to them as salaries and pensions. What a schmuck I am thinking now I need to pay for my own retirement out of my hard earned after tax savings. I could have been a teacher, worked just 9 months a year, gone home at 3:00PM and had a lifetime pension and healthcare for my entire family for life paid for by jerks like me who paid all those taxes which you now tell me are not enough and are not fair. Clearly you are right. I need to pay more to support all those who pay nothing. After all, the government got me where I am today so I need to repay the government for all the help they provided. I have to hand it to you for the clever marketing. You say we rich guys should pay more taxes so you can hire more teachers who can pay more union dues, which are then recycled to your election campaign. All while the product they are delivering, education of our children, has gone from best in the world to number 27 with nearly twice the number of teachers and aides student as when we were ranked first in the world. The private sector has nothing compared to your slick marketing, product improvement and cost containment skills.

Thank you for clarifying that I wasted my entire life working and risking so much, when all I needed to do was call my friendly government worker who would have done it all for me since I did not do any of that myself. I am sure my friends, who are also now rich by their own effort and smarts, will want to thank you for letting us know that our lifetime of effort to make America the best country in the world was a total waste, and it was all due to government unions and not our own efforts. Since you feel that my top bracket tax rate is not “fair”, compared to the 50% who pay nothing, I enclose my checkbook so you can just fill out whatever amount you feel is “fair” and necessary to cover all those government worker pensions and health care since those government workers made my success possible. Much better to pay those pension costs for the union workers who retired at 55 after they built my business for me, and not pay for police protection, infrastructure and other things the government was supposed to be providing. Had you not clarified things so well, my friends and I would have died thinking hard work and smarts made a difference.

Sincerely,

Joel Ross