Dear Editor:

In a recent letter to the editor, a writers states, “The myth about tax cuts that business-friendly politicians use to dupe the taxpaying public is that tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy somehow benefits anyone.”

There are so many fallacies in that statement it is difficult to know where to begin debunking them.

First of all, the writer assumes all businesses are run by wealthy people. Of course, that just isn’t true. Two our of three start-up businesses fail within the first two or three years. Those that succeed oftentimes barely stay in business with the hope of someday growing large enough to earn a decent living in order to retire when they reach age 65. Often these businesses pay their help before themselves just to stay in business. Sometimes, although rarely, these businesses do grow and the entrepreneur does finally make an above average income. I don’t think he or she should be penalized through unrealistic taxes for having contributed to society by providing jobs.

Second, to think that fair taxes for businesses don’t help anyone is absurd. In my personal experience, I have had to put off hiring people because of the tax burden. It always seemed that the government knew better what to do with my money than I did. In a larger sense, high taxes in the U.S. renders us less competitive on the world scene. Why do you think large corporations want to base their headquarters overseas? Do you think that creates jobs here? Of course not. Why do you think businesses prefer to do business outside of Maine even though Maine’s labor force is among the best? Maine’s high tax rate is oftentimes the reason.

The Portland Press Herald recently pointed out that Maine’s economic growth last year at 0.2 percent put Maine’s growth at 47th in the country and last in New England. Let’s not shoot for 50th by stifling businesses like the businesses we find in the Boothbay region.

Dick Stevenson

Boothbay