MY CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE WHITE HOUSE ON TAX REFORM

On May 2nd of this year I sent a 4-page letter to President Barack Obama.  I began by stating –

“Our current US Tax Code is, for want of a better description, a mucking fess.  There is no doubt that it needs to be seriously reformed.  In my opinion the Code needs to be totally rewritten.”

The letter went on to outline in detail how I feel the current Tax Code should be rewritten. I explained that “the guiding principles in the rewriting of the Tax Code should be fairness and simplicity”.

I emphasized - “The new Code must be simple.  Simplicity for simplicity’s sake.” 

This past Friday I received a response, dated July 1, 2013, to my letter.  Unlike the response I had received from a letter to Dubya on a tax-related topic back in 2000, the response was from BO himself, under his signature, and not from a clerical staffer.

The response began –

“Dear Robert:

Thank you for writing.  I understand the strong views many Americans have about taxes, and I appreciate your perspective.”

It then went onto apparently quote a speech on tax reform.  The response did not, in any way, shape, or form, respond to the specific proposals in my letter.

It was obvious that BO did not read my letter.  I wonder if anyone actually did.

However I also doubt that anyone actually read the letter I had written to Dubya.   

While I do appreciate the fact that the reply was allegedly directly from the President, under his signature, it is clear that the reply was a pro-forma with the text of a speech on taxes - as it would have been a pro-forma with the text of a speech on energy or immigration if I had written about either of those topics. 

To be honest, I really did not expect a real response to my proposals.  I have been around long enough, and, especially coming from Hudson County NJ, am cynical enough when it comes to politicians to realize that my time writing to the President was very probably wasted. 

It would have been nice, though, if the letter would have actually been read, and my proposals had actually been acknowledged in the reply.

I also sent the same letter to Max Baucus and, I think, Dave Camp – but have not heard back from either yet.

The body of the letter – the speech that was copied therein – continues to make it clear that President Obama has no clue about, and does not support, true substantive 1040 tax reform.

Oh well. 

TTFN