Posted: Apr 25, 2005 By: NULL

Comment: Dear Members of the Commission,

I certainly hope that all of you will perform your task in a manner that
benefits the citizens of this great country, reduces government size and at
the same time creates some of the income needed to provide funds that will
help balance the Budget. Yours is a task that been asked of many others in
the past, but they have either failed in their efforts or that some branch
of the Government has refused to follow through. Please do not allow the
pressure from outside interests or bureaucratic empires influence your
recommendations. Use whatever means are available to you to convince the
powers to be to take steps in simplifying and updating our tax code.

In my personal opinion filing of personal income taxes should be made so
simple that they can be filed on a 3X5 card. Personal deductions, except for
dependents, should be eliminated but the percentage of tax paid on income
should be adjusted or a flat tax incorporated. Today's tax code is
cumbersome and complicated, sure changes like this would affect the
companies like H&R Block and accounting firms, but the changes must be made
for benefit of the majority of our citizens and our Government.

For our seniors one of two or both things must happen to give them relief in
paying for costly medical care, prescriptions, and insurances. Either
eliminate the tax on Social Security payments and or at age 72 eliminate
Federal Income Taxes altogether. By the time we reach 72 I think that enough
financial support has been given to the country and at that age it has come
time for a pay back.

In addition, I read that there is concern we are not saving enough. why do
think that is, are we living too high or is there some other reason? To help
stimulate savings, and I don't mean IRA's or some other vehicle that was
devised by Congress and the banking industry, there should be a ceratin
amount of interest from Savings Accounts, CD's or other such instruments
that is exempt from taxes, say the first $5000.00 in interest.

The idea in Congress that $40000.00 or $ 50,000.00 a year in total income
puts a senior or anyone else in the upper class of income earners is
absolutely ridiculous. If that is true why do they keep giving themselves
raises that increases the gap between themselves and the average middle
income wage earner ? Sure there are a lot of people that earn way less than
that, but they also earn a great deal less than those that set on either
side of aisle. Ask yourselves what is the average family and individual
income in this country today ? How much does one need to live on and raise a
family or maintain life, and I don't mean maintain a certain life style, I
mean maintain life with a roof over your head ?

By going to a simplified tax just think of how much money can be saved by
reducing the IRS payroll. In fact, what good is the IRS, they can't answer
the populace's questions correctly. When they give incorrect answers and a
person files on it thinking they got the right info right from the horse's
mouth, the IRS will come after them without accepting any blame. Sounds to
me like the old IRS. With today's advances in electronics and
communications the change over should be quick and effective as long as a
firm from the private sector is in charge and not the IRS or some other
inefficient governmental agency.

Thank you for the opportunity to express my opinions and thoughts regarding
the monumental task before you.

Sincerely,
Joseph Gregg

joeg822@adelphia.net