People making under $250,000 also work hard

I was stunned by the letter "'Rich' already pay enough" [April 21]. The writer suggests that we should not apply the term "rich" to those the president believes should pay more taxes, but instead that group should be referred to as "high achieving, hardworking individuals." Those who do not fall into this category the writer refers to as "non-achievers [who] prefer to take rather than try harder."

According to the IRS, the percentage of households in the United States earning more than $250,000 (the group the president believes should pay more taxes) is 2 percent. So the writer believes that 98 percent of the working population in this country are non-achievers who just want to put a greater tax burden on those hardworking high achievers. Really?

Those "non-achievers" would include college professors, educators, police officers, construction workers, retail workers, most managerial personnel in private business and a large majority of small business owners. We're all non-achievers? Really?

Stephen Reich, Wantagh
 

I was really quite surprised and sad at reading this letter.

According to the writer, if you're not "rich," you must have cut classes in school and done drugs, and now you aren't working hard and pulling your own weight! Tell that to all those who have been laid off jobs, or to those high school and college graduates who are having difficulty finding a job.

Freda Eiberson, Long Beach