Vigil at Rep. Norm Dicks’ office brings in letters of support

Sequim Gazette staff

Clallam County MoveOn members rallied at Rep. Norm Dicks’ office on Thursday afternoon in support of the House of Representatives’ 234-188 decision to cut taxes for lower and middle-class people.

The decision makes permanent tax cuts for individuals making $200,000 or less a year and couples earning $250,000 or less each year.

Those earning more would still receive a tax cut on that initial earnings amount.

MoveOn members delivered an open letter to Dicks at his Port Angeles office Nov. 18, urging him to vote against tax cuts for the wealthy.

Congress has until Dec. 31 to act on tax cuts enacted by President George W. Bush in 2001 and 2003. Many Republicans have endorsed a bill to extend the tax cut for everyone.

MoveOn members feel that form of the extended tax break would most help the upper class. MoveOn members gave petitions and letters against the upper-class tax break to Judith Morris, district representative for Rep. Norm Dick’s office.

Dicks said almost half of the benefit – $1.9 trillion – would go to the richest two percent of taxpayers in the country, the demographic least affected by the recession and its aftermath. A decision on tax cuts goes to the U.S. Senate next.

Local opinions

Many attendees of the vigil were from Sequim.

Carlyn Syvanen of Sequim said she thinks the rich are getting away with too much.

“There’s not a fair tax rate,” Syvanen said.

“It’s criminal not to tax the rich at a higher rate when we cut back in schools and for services that help people.”

Marion “Honeybee” Burns, a caregiver for the Korean Women’s Association and a Sequim resident, said she’d like to see rich people pay their fair share.

For more information on Clallam County MoveOn, contact Bill Kildall at 452-6387, drbilly@msn.com, or Rich Wingerter at 650-207-8014, richw@sonic.net.