Guest Author - Cassandra George Sturges
During an interview with Barbara Walters, First Lady, Michelle Obama, jokingly discussed that after moving into the White House, she would stress that her daughters, Sasha and Malia continue to make their own beds. What would be the logical reason for requiring that their daughters continue to make their own beds, even though there are White House staffs that are hired to and can easily make the beds of President Obama’s daughters? He is the president of our nation; don’t his daughters deserve a free ride?
I think that the reason that Michelle Obama wants Malia and Sasha to continue to make their own beds even though they are merely children is because they want their daughters to be raised with a sense of moral obligation to contributing to their own well-being; which in turn will increase their self-esteem and self-worth as individuals and as citizens apart of bigger community.
Now using this exact same logic, why would President Obama only increase the taxes of wealthy individuals who earn over $200,000 and married couples who earn over $250,000 a year? I feel in my spirit that this tax increase for only one class of people in American perpetuates conflict and resent among various economic classes that further divides this country. The old ideology of Robin Hood to steal from the rich to give to the poor ultimately vilifies the rich and victimizes the poor.
I know that what I am about to suggest is going to offend some people, so I am asking you to please just open your mind before rejecting this idea.
If raising taxes is a method of increasing revenue that will create more jobs, a better healthcare system, quality education programs and a stronger military—wouldn’t it be wise to increase taxes for all income levels based on a small percentage of what each citizen can afford to pay? For example, people who earn $1-$20,000 a year there would be a .5% increase; $20,001 - $40,000 there would be a 1% increase; $40,001 - $60,000 there would be a 1.5% increase… so forth and so on. We could make these numbers even smaller, but the point is – in order for all American citizens to feel a sense of contribution, commitment and responsibility for the well-being of their country each citizen must feel that they are doing their part.
Would it not improve the morale and patriotism of American citizens to know that the sacrifices that they are making by paying a little bit more in taxes will come back to them in dividends? Would it not improve the self-respect, self-esteem and self-worth of lower and middle class working families and individuals to know that they have helped bring about the needed changes to stabilize their economy?
When Obama was running for president, I donated $25 to his campaign on several occasions because it was all I could afford. I had never been inspired to donate money to any other political campaign in my life. Donating $25 empowered me as a registered voter and an American citizen. Whenever I would see a commercial I would think to myself, I helped make this possible.
President Obama when you ran for election you did not ask for donations for people who earned less than $200,000, you asked people to donate whatever they could afford to bring about change. Why short change your supporters now, by making them believe that they are not good enough, worthy enough or wealthy enough to contribute to their own economic improvement-- or was the $25 campaign donation the ticket price to a free ride?
