This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
According to Mitt Romney, for each of the past 10 years his income taxes were never less than 13 percent. Then to make that low rate sound better, he noted that if you count his generous charitable donations then his rate is "over 20 percent."
Since when are donations to churches considered on a par with taxes? Romney's mixing apples and oranges.
His statement is even more ludicrous when you consider that a good middle-class Mormon whose income is from wages would pay taxes at, say, around 30 percent, and if you then add in tithing, they're paying a whopping 40 percent.
Even though his percentages are lower, as a millionaire, Romney seems proud of the amount he gives to both his church and his government, and it's a lot.
He should remember Jesus' parable of the widow's mite: her pitiful donation of two coins was counted more worthy than the huge donation of a rich man, because she gave all she had. Percentages count for the Lord, and they should count for the government.
People like Romney should pay at least the same rate as average Americans. It's only fair.
Yvonne Willis
Salt Lake City