Rethinking How Iowans

State Senator Larry McKibben has given us a good place to start with his 3.5% proposed flat tax, ("Iowa Must Rethink..." April 9th). But let's consider "discounting" everyone's taxes before we make any final decisions.

When you go to buy a new car, you get two things: a discount on the price and 0% financing. Well, why not do that with every Iowan's taxes? We don't want to take anything away from anyone, so we should allow everyone to calculate their taxes with all their deductions, and on the basis of their new discount. Then you could file on whichever basis puts the most money in your pocket immediately.

Secondly, let's not tax interest income, dividends, pensions, Social Security, and just like Bill Clinton did for homeowners, no tax on capital gains. We could fashion the TV advertising after the ads being run in the auto industry: "Iowans can now file their income taxes with all their deductions, or with their new discount on earned income, and you'll pay 0% on interest, 0% on dividends, 0% on pensions and Social Security, and, just like Bill Clinton did for homeowners, you'll pay 0% on your capital gains!"

Lastly, let's apply a low rate on your new discount of, say, just 1.5%. If we do that, our tax rate will be half what people and businesses pay in Illinois. With a $2.3 Billion deficit this year and no plan to address it, there will be a lot of Illinois residents willing to move to take advantage of Iowa's lower rates, and to avoid the tax increases that are bound to be passed to solve their multi-billion dollar problems.

Their residents have already been driving to Iowa for cigarettes because our taxes are so much lower. We can turn Illinois' deficit problems into our GROWTH . In fact, this place will look like a Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve when they find out how much money we'll save them by discounting their income taxes! And they'll bring their businesses here, too.

Best of all, Iowans will put more money in their pockets immediately, and we'll see our property values go out of sight over the long-term, building real wealth for ourselves.

Discounting works in mass-merchandising because so many people benefit. The same will be true if we discount Iowa's income taxes now. So, don't be a Republican or a Democrat on this critical issue. BE AN IOWAN TODAY! SUPPORT DISCOUNTING.