Editor:

Senator Obama’’s tax policy proposes to increase income tax rates on individuals and families making more than $250,000. While this certainly has palpable appeal by those folks desiring a measure of “fairness” or “patriotism” as VP-candidate Biden remarked recently, this is another clear cut example of Obama’s socialistic, ignorant and dangerous intention for America. At a time when we can least afford it.

Seventy percent of all employment in this country is provided by small business. Eighty percent of all jobs created in the last decade were created by small business. Not by Exxon/Mobil, not GM, not AT&T, not by Wal-Mart. And certainly not by “government.”

The overwhelming majority of small businesses in America are owned by individuals where the businesses income is reported through the owners’ individual tax returns. Increased tax rates encourage small business owners to trim expenses and the single largest expense in all business is payroll. These are not “your” jobs as politicians would have one believe, these are jobs belong to the business owner. By increasing tax rates on these individuals, especially in a recessionary period predicted to occur in 2009, Obama guarantees to stifle much needed job growth that our economy desperately needs at a crucial time in our history. There is no larger issue at this point in the run up to November 4th than the state of the nation’s economy. A strong recovery will depend upon maintaining and growing employment.

So the question becomes Senator Obama and to your supporters – how can America possibly afford to put this sort of misguided, liberal economic policy in the White House? The answer is, she cannot, and neither can Americans who are capable of voting with their brains and not their emotions. Democrat icon President John F. Kennedy understood this. Why don’t you?

Jeff Cole

Kennebunk