A letter to the editor (Wisconsin State Journal)

Recently, I wrote a letter to the editor in response to another letter that had been published earlier in the month regarding liberals in Wisconsin.

The original letter, written by Jim Cox, is below:

Why do most liberals resent people with money?

Their ideas and willingness to take financial risks is what created jobs. They managed to be successful, paid your wages and benefits, half your Social Security and all your unemployment benefits.

Now the trend is to support the underachievers, using tax dollars from the people with money. This doesn't sound fair to me. I am "middle class," but I appreciate the jobs they created for me. They had aspirations and should be rewarded.

Fair is fair. A flat-rate tax, of perhaps 10 percent across the board, is the equitable way. The wealthy do not stuff their money under a mattress. That money is out there spurring our economy. Don't divert it to financing government give-aways.

- Jim Cox, Lodi

Here was my response, posted January 17:

On Jan. 7 a letter was published regarding the disdain that this state's "liberals" supposedly have for the wealthy.

Liberals don't want to empty the pockets of the wealthy, but they do want to see the rich pay their fair share of taxes, a feeling that is in fact echoed by a majority of Americans, according to recent polling.

How fitting it was, though, that the letter was published on Jan. 7. According to One Wisconsin Now, it was on Jan. 7 that the average CEO in Wisconsin had already earned more income (in one week's time, mind you) than the state's median household will earn in the entire calendar year.

Forgive this liberal for thinking that the supposed "job makers" in this state - who earned more in seven days than I will earn in 365 - should have to contribute a little more proportionally in taxes, especially given the fact that they've failed so far to create jobs on their own since the end of the recession.

- Chris Walker, Madison