LETTERS: WILL NEW TAX CODE LOOK ANY DIFFERENT?

To the editor:

The fervent drive to eliminate the present income-tax code seems to have developed somewhat of a euphoria driven by simplistic notions. Before such a move were made, necessity would demand a well developed improvement waiting in the wings for immediate replacement. Of course, such a replacement would have to be crafted by the same legislative process that produced the present code. It is a serious question (given the push and pull of the various interests) whether the end product would look much different than the present code.

It is an extreme challenge in a democratic republic such as ours to walk the tightrope of blending the simplistic self-serving wants with the unwanted necessities of our society into a tax code that adheres to the irrevocable equation of 2 plus 2 equals 4 and deals fairly with every segment of our society.

Good luck to all of us.

GILBERT DEGENHARDT

Cape Girardeau