Nelson Mandela said, “A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest.” The United States has the biggest gap between the rich and the poor compared to any other industrialized nation. Corporate tax reform should be the big issue in Washington now.

Major profitable corporations must be pressed to do their part and to pay their fair share. If the big corporations would pay their fair share of taxes, then our government would have more than enough money to pay for critical, life-saving programs. The “Fix the Debt” campaign, an industry front group that is led by millionaire CEOs, seek to “fix” our economy by widening corporate tax loopholes and shrinking the budgets of people living on Social Security. They want to create a debt crisis when there is not one.

We must close the corporate loopholes so that we have more revenue to work with. Then, we could actually strengthen our vital programs, not make unnecessary, shameful cuts to services. In our country, one in six adults and one in five children are living in poverty‚ levels we haven’t seen in America since the ’60s. Considering the staggering number of people suffering under the poverty line in our great country, I think the last thing we should be doing is smiling at the wealthiest corporations and telling them they don’t need to pay into the system from which they receive so much. Put people first. Fair taxes, _not cuts_.

— Gretchen Maune
MPA candidate
Truman School of Public Affairs
gmm271@mail.missouri.edu