{"id":3693,"date":"2026-07-03T23:39:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T23:39:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3693"},"modified":"2026-07-03T23:39:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T23:39:49","slug":"letters-with-gop-in-control-tax-changes-for-wealthy-are-unlikely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3693","title":{"rendered":"Letters: With GOP in control, tax changes for wealthy are unlikely"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<p><em><strong>Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h4>National tax for wealthy unlikely with GOP<\/h4>\n<p>Re: \u201cNewsom pivoting on billionaire tax\u201d (Page A1, June 27).<\/p>\n<p>Gov. Newsom is right in warning that the ultra-wealthy will flee the state if the billionaire tax passes and in emphasizing the need for a federal solution.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3691\">SF Giants\u2019 Adames returns to starting lineup after missing last three games<\/a><\/p>\n<p>However, a federal tax on the assets of the ultra-wealthy would likely fail because the U.S. Constitution requires any \u201cdirect tax\u201d (such as a tax on private land holdings) to be apportioned among the states according to their populations. Thus, states with no or few billionaires would fight any attempt to make them bear any part of a tax measured by the billions amassed by California and New York billionaires.<\/p>\n<p>In sum, the optimal strategy is to concentrate on electing a president and Congress who will significantly raise the federal tax rates on corporate profits and the personal income tax rates on capital gains, dividends and the other income streams that go untaxed due to the avoidance schemes used by the ultra-wealthy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Kennedy Richardson<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Piedmont<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Program to transport seniors needs drivers<\/h4>\n<p>Re: \u201cMaking the difficult call to stop driving\u201d (Page A1, June 23).<\/p>\n<p>There has been a recent increase in concern over seniors needing or being required to give up their driver\u2019s license and secure outside support.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In this regard, the nonprofit Mobility Matters\u00a0has a solution. They have volunteer drivers who will provide door-to-door service that takes qualified seniors in need from their homes to their medical appointments, waits in the doctor\u2019s office and returns them for free.<\/p>\n<p>The need is for more drivers, as there are thousands to be helped. Please step up and volunteer a few hours a month.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Edi Birsan<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Concord<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Walnut Creek\u2019s cash diversion to bike lanes<\/h4>\n<p>The county and city of Walnut Creek have conspired to divert over $6 million in highway funds toward the construction of bike lanes\u00a0along a three-block section of Treat Boulevard between North Main Street and Jones Road. Construction is scheduled to start this fall on a road that currently carries over 40,000 vehicles a day.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not clear how many, if any, bikers will use the new lanes rather than the existing Canal Trail that is dedicated to bikes and pedestrians, located two blocks south of Treat and mirrors the proposed project.<\/p>\n<p>Commuters traveling north on 680 and heading east on Treat Boulevard will also lose the dedicated right-hand turnoff onto Treat and, instead, will be directed to a stoplight on Treat.<\/p>\n<p>County supervisors and city officials have ignored the repeated objections of the local neighborhood association affected by this proposal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Larry McEwen<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Walnut Creek<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Heat waves prove we must halt emissions<\/h4>\n<p>Re: \u201cMore temperature records fall as deadly heat lingers in Europe\u201d (Page A4, June 26).<\/p>\n<p>The evidence is no longer in question: The intensity of the deadly heatwaves in Asia during the spring and across Europe right now is the result of the climate pollution we continue to pump into the atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3689\">The $25,000 new car or truck is an endangered species. Here\u2019s why<\/a><\/p>\n<p>We, in the United States and around the world, must stop polluting the air with greenhouse gases. Getting to \u201cnet zero\u201d is not an arbitrary slogan. It is dictated by the laws of physics. To halt warming, net greenhouse gas emissions must stop.<\/p>\n<p>We need stronger leadership from the Senate and House, from our state leaders, and from our county and municipal leaders.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jeffrey Spencer<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Fremont<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Trump plainly states reason for voter rules<\/h4>\n<p>The GOP controls the House, the Senate, the Supreme Court and the White House. Why then are they the ones attempting to curb unsubstantiated election fraud?<\/p>\n<p>The answer may have come earlier from Rome, Georgia, on Feb 20, 2026, when Donald Trump provided the motivation, if not the corrupt part, out loud: \u201cWe\u2019ll never lose a race. For 50 years, we won\u2019t lose a race.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Last week, he wouldn\u2019t sign the landmark, bipartisan Affordable Housing Bill unless the GOP passed the Save Act first.<\/p>\n<p>Interesting priorities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Barry Brynjulson<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Pleasanton<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Lift cap on earnings for Social Security tax<\/h4>\n<p>Speaker Johnson doesn\u2019t seem to understand that you can\u2019t solve the Social Security deficit problem by benefit reductions\u00a0alone.<\/p>\n<p>To be fair, you must raise revenue by eliminating the $184,500 cap on earnings and taxing total earnings. Let the overpaid athletes, entertainers, CEOs, investment bankers, hedge fund managers, etc., pay their fair share and help support the program.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Joseph Rizzuto<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Los Gatos<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Trump plainly states reason for voter rules<\/h4>\n<p>The GOP controls the House, the Senate, the Supreme Court and the White House. Why then are they the ones attempting to curb unsubstantiated election fraud?<\/p>\n<p>The answer may have come earlier from Rome, Georgia, on Feb 20, 2026, when Donald Trump provided the motivation, if not the corrupt part, out loud: \u201cWe\u2019ll never lose a race. For 50 years, we won\u2019t lose a race.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Last week, he wouldn\u2019t sign the landmark, bipartisan Affordable Housing Bill unless the GOP passed the Save Act first.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3687\">Trump Accounts launch July 4, giving newborns $1,000. Here\u2019s what to know<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Interesting priorities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Barry Brynjulson<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Pleasanton<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Also: Transporting seniors | Fireproofing homes | Bike lanes | Halt emissions | Interesting priorities. East Bay Times reader letters to the editor for July 5, 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3692,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Letters: With GOP in control, tax changes for wealthy are unlikely - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=3693\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Letters: With GOP in control, tax changes for wealthy are unlikely - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Also: Transporting seniors | Fireproofing homes | Bike lanes | Halt emissions | Interesting priorities. 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