OPINION:
In every budgetary proclamation that has come from the White House, the 5 percent of Americans who “control” most of the wealth in this country have been berated. If only they would pay more, says the Obama administration, the government could give away more. It’s the fair way to reduce the deficit, the administration holds.
The fact is, however, that it is the 5 percent who start new businesses and hire the unemployed. Private schools, hospitals and nursing homes are created and funded by this 5 percent. Every second building on college campuses is built by those people, and half of the students are granted scholarships created and funded by them. They are the most significant contributors to nonprofits, including the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, groups supporting cancer research, Special Olympics and even National Public Radio, just to name a few.
Without that 5 percent, America would not be the great and generous society it is today. I suggest that instead of demonizing these most exceptional citizens, the president should be on his knees praising and thanking them. They are the backbone of the American economy, and it is they who facilitate the quality of life we enjoy here.
They are already “doing more.” They are doing it voluntarily and with after-tax dollars.
JOHN FAGER
Ocean City, Md.
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