Letters to the editor | Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019: Should corporations pay more taxes?

Good teachers can change lives

In high school, I had a finance teacher who did everything to provide a great educational experience for me and I learned some very valuable life skills. He really went out of his way to help students, whether it was with tutoring or coming up with plans to help us prepare not only for our classes but also for our future. He was definitely the best teacher I had and today I use many skills that I learned in his class in my current work and day-to-day life.

I believe that if teachers were fairly compensated for the work they do, we would see more teachers who really care and genuinely put effort into creating better learning environments, which would lead to a more educated population and benefit us all. Why are we letting some corporations take advantage of tax loopholes, keeping billions out of our schools and local communities? Prop. 13 was meant to protect homeowners and renters, not large corporations. We need to close the commercial property tax loopholes so that we can invest this money where it belongs: in our classrooms, in our teachers, and in our future.

Help everyone, not just the rich

Growing up in the ‘90s, I went to Orville Wright School in Modesto, a school with a high percentage of English language learners, low-income students and students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. The school is in a food desert with a liquor store directly in front in an area with nearly no sidewalks. Neglect and under-funding is apparent and the socioeconomic and environmental factors in the neighborhood have had negative impacts on my mental and physical health and that of my family.

When Proposition 13 passed, it was meant to protect homeowners, not commercial property owners. Closing property tax loopholes that unfairly benefit large corporations and commercial property owners will bring more money into communities like ours, directly improving the lives of children and creating healthier, more whole communities. Investing in education is the best thing a community can do because it helps children prepare for good jobs. At some point we need to protect our communities and children and not just the interests of the wealthy.

Choose people over profit

So many issues face us today. We lack funds for our schools and communities. Our children deserve a better education. There is a lot of discrimination, racism, and abuse in schools as well as in the workplace.

We need better job opportunities and equal pay for men and women. It’s unjust that women get paid less than men, especially when they do the same job. The population is growing. People suffer from health issues due to pollution and pesticides, especially from agriculture. Many people are developing asthma. The soil is contaminated from pesticides, yet we build new homes on it. Pesticides affect humans as well as the wildlife around us.

Although we have all of these problems, I believe there are solutions that we could work toward. Corporations should be held accountable for their actions and impact on the environment. They should pay taxes and treat their workers better. Some of the largest corporations in the country pay people the lowest possible wages. It’s time to choose people over profit and reinvest in our communities.

Families pay more when companies pay less

I have always worked and did not have the opportunity to continue my education. But in my life and with my family, I have seen that with education, people can leave such hard work. It is important to struggle to study and as a community we must support those who want to study. In addition, we need to be united to fight for a better future for all, and education is the base. Without education, it is more difficult for working people because they do not know their rights.

It must be informed and united, because otherwise, large corporations will continue taking advantage of their workers and not paying their fair share of taxes. If they do not pay what they are applicable, they lack the money for the resources needed in our schools and communities. And so, our families end up paying more and more to have things that strengthen our communities, such as community programs and public schools.

Deprived students deserve help

Education not only lifts the individual, but society as a whole; it permits an avenue to be creative and attractive to employers. We should invest more in the sciences and economics.

We need an equitable system. There is excessive disparity in who obtains higher education. All the kids that have been deprived, especially students of color and low income, should receive more scholarships. The ones who need it most are deprived from obtaining them. Furthermore, not everyone will go to college. Some workers are driven to obtain a certain trade.

It is necessary to invest more in education that allows for both academic and vocational training. Corporate tax loopholes should be terminated, and we should use the additional funds to supplement scholarships, grants, and overall education funding.

Tax corporations more

I have lived in Modesto for over 25 years, and I enjoy living here. It has gotten calmer, and I believe it’s because we have strong law enforcement. Public safety is a necessary investment. We have less crime than Stockton and even Sacramento.

I attribute our strong economy to President Obama. When Trump came along, he gave corporations massive tax breaks. I don’t understand why we as taxpayers are penalized if we make a mistake on our taxes, but corporations get away with not paying taxes. They have so much power and money so they find loopholes and they can hire many lawyers at a time, and the government continues to give them massive tax breaks.

If corporations pay their fair share, more funds could be invested in our schools, healthcare, and the various needs of our community. We can improve public safety in our communities. Our children can have a more equitable education system, and our seniors can have adequate health services. What the government is giving to the corporations, they are robbing from the middle class. It’s time that corporations pay their fair share.

Represent people, not corporate interests

It frightens me to think of my employer-provided health care being discontinued. It would ruin my entire retirement life. It would cost me $1,000 per month. There is no way I would be able to pay for that on top of housing and living expenses on a fixed income. I’m retired, and I would have to move in with my mother.

Since the Reagan era, there has been legislation — mostly by the Republican party — that has favored corporations and has decimated working Americans in terms of health care, wages, and job security. They have threatened Social Security and Medicare, which they have referred to as “entitlement programs,” but these are programs that Americans have contributed to their entire work life.

My fellow Americans, we have got to pay more attention to the people we’re electing. We need people that will represent and protect us and our needs, not corporate interests.

Corporate taxes might help schools

Schools need more money. My son has bipolar disorder and goes to a nonpublic school because public schools are not equipped to accommodate his needs. In the school he attends now, there aren’t music or art classes, after-school programs or even sports because they don’t have the extra funds. Even having just one of these classes or programs could help my son learn discipline and patience. A public school might have some of these things but unfortunately they don’t have the resources that he needs.

These types of classes and programs could and do help children find mentors and gain self-confidence. But unfortunately, big money-makers pay little taxes and our kids suffer. What could possibly be right about that? Everyone, including those who are making the most money, should pay their fair share in taxes so that we can invest in the things our communities and schools really need. Next year we will have the chance to vote and make sure that those who are profiting the most are also paying their fair share and hopefully then we will see more resources for education.

This story was originally published November 25, 2019 at 9:18 AM with the headline "Letters to the editor | Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019: Should corporations pay more taxes?."