Why Aren't Some "Citizens" Paying Taxes?

Why Aren't Some "Citizens" Paying Taxes?

By Alan DiCara, Winchester

Following is an open letter to U.S. Senators Dodd and Lieberman, regarding corporations avoiding taxes in the U.S. and Enron.

Dear Senators: We read of reports that Stanley Works has successfully changed its corporate headquarters to Bermuda, thus reducing its tax liability by some $15 million annually. Mind you, Stanley only recently moved significant portions of its production offshore and laid off over 1,000 employees—your constituents—right here in Connecticut.

This is to request you to sponsor "Enron" amendments to upcoming legislation:

(1) Any firm selling goods and services in the U.S. must pay its full share of any and all taxes—or, in lieu thereof, pay national defense and other fees to reimburse American taxpayers for the services these corporate citizens, and their stockholders, receive from the rest of us. If we are to be the world’s cop, we’d better start charging the "world" for our services, lest we continue to bankrupt our Social Security and Medicare trust funds—even as our elderly go without adequate care in the nation’s hospitals and nursing homes.

(2) Relatedly, this "Enron" amendment should also include provisions to reimburse those poor people who lost their retirement and savings due to the misdeeds at Enron and due to the failure of people like you, in Congress, to protect them.

(3) Additional provisions to prevent other corporations from lying about their finances and from exploiting innocent employees and their retirement funds need to be passed as well.

(4) A fund, financed by a corporate profits tax on firms doing business in the U.S.—regardless of the address of incorporation—should be mandated and maintained by the federal government to address any future nonsense by corporations. Interest on these monies should help finance our Social Security trust fund.

You should be ashamed to have allowed this to happen in our great nation; now, do the right things: correct your mistakes and those of corporations whose interests you’ve placed above average Americans for too long. Please inform all of us of the results of your efforts.