Taxes: Harman and the Middle Class

Jane Harman’s support of the Social Security tax increase irritates me to no end, like it should thousands of others in the South Bay. I retired only after a thorough financial analysis showing that it was practical to do so. Now, Harman and her cohorts have changed the rules. If private pension plans tried to pull off this sort of betrayal of their retirees, there would be a congressional investigation.

Harman is right in step with the Democratic congresswoman from Pennsylvania who, at a meeting in her district with President Clinton, complained about the growth of “middle-class entitlements.� Who do they think provided this country with the industrial talent to win World War II and the Cold War, put a man on the moon, make this country the one that everyone (unfortunately) wants to move to? Who do they think has paid the overwhelming share since the inception of the income tax? Not the illegal immigrants, not the permanent welfare class and not the megabuck crowd. It’s been the middle class, that’s who.

And why is Harman making speeches on the House floor supporting statehood for the District of Columbia, a federal enclave so as to create two more Senate seats for an area the size of Long Beach while the state she represents has 31 million people with only two seats?

Finally, there’s the “Lock Box.� Harman is co-authoring a bill called the Deficit-Reduction Lock Box Act. This is supposed to secrete away monies that are cut from programs. This is imaginary money of course since as long as there is a deficit, it doesn’t exist. It’s a gimmick, a little like teaching children to count on their fingers.

What we of the South Bay need is someone to represent us; someone concerned with local issues.

MICHAEL KENNEDY

Rancho Palos Verdes