Sales tax hurts poor

Thanks to Steve Hatcher for supporting a suggestion in my recent letter that sales tax on food is a bad idea.

However, if he had reflected on my letter, in which I nowhere state that anyone is "ignorant", he might not have concluded as he did. Nor was it my intent to suggest anyone was ignorant, just uninformed.

The majority of Idahoans are adversely impacted by the sales tax on food and the low minimum wage that our legislators have chosen to impose. Wouldn't an informed electorate vote in their best interest? If they did we might have no sales tax on food and a higher minimum wage.

Republican leadership has shown that it is less concerned with the little guy than it is in the well heeled or narrow interests.

For example, who benefited from the last round of tax cuts? Why has Medicaid been cut? Why does the state support a "Right to Work" law that enables employers to keep wages down? (Look at the average per capita income in states with such laws and you will find them mostly at the bottom along with Idaho, which stands 43rd out 50.)

Since lower income people make up the majority of eligible voters in this state and do not vote to change our leadership I can only conclude that they are poorly informed or don't care. In either event, an education that stimulates critical thinking and intellectual curiosity might rectify that.

BOB WYNHAUSEN

Sandpoint