Change the tax code, but slowly

To the editor,

In the best and purest of all worlds, it would be good policy to completely revamp the federal tax code, but we live in the world as it is.

Of course, the tax code is unfair. If you rent, you are subsidizing homeowners and their mortgage deduction. If you are wealthy, the inheritance tax is a gross injustice. If you are fortunate enough to have capital gains, they should be taxed less and so on.

The current debate among presidential hopefuls is absorbed with reforming the tax code.  Some approaches are simplistic, but they are all designed to curry votes with sweeping reform, especially in the Republican primaries.

It is my point of view that while the code is certainly a hodgepodge, sweeping reform, especially at this time is not only unwise, but detrimental to the country. 

Our society is so affected by how we pay taxes that sweeping reform would create too much change at one time. The level and dimension of the effect of extensive tax reform on the way America “works” could by no means be predicted.

With all the challenges facing us at this time of immense upheaval in the world order, we do not need to complicate and divert the government and the citizenry from issues that impinge more on the destiny of our country, ourselves and our posterity.

I recommend changing how we are taxed be done in small bites over time, though I don’t know how many votes that would get a presidential hopeful.

Howard Ring