Tax numbers don't make sense

Mike Miller had the following letter in the April 4 Dispatch/Rock Island Argus. "I am confused. Aren't the sales-tax-referendum people generally the same crowd who argue that a sales tax is regressive and hits the poorest among us the hardest? However, somehow that's OK as long as they accomplish their goal. Those on pensions and Social Security should pay more at the store, so that school authorities don't have to make the tough spending decisions. ...... The editorial board uses $5 per month per human being living in Rock Island County in order to persuade us that the tax is reasonable, let's look at the numbers in a different way. This year our seniors got a 1.7 percent increase in their Social Security. For someone getting $1,200 a month is just about a $20 per month increase. If that person spends $300 each month on items subject to the new tax, she will pay about $3 per month in new taxes, or about 15 percent of her generous governmental increase. Fifteen percent of a senior's well deserved increase in Social Security seems like a somewhat deeper bite. I will never understand politics."