To pay homage to Mr. Leigh: My property taxes increased by 800 percent for 2018 on 4.57 acres home site alone. Somewhere along the line our state legislature got out of line on taxing personal property. My opinion, tax everyone (eliminate GATE priveliges and the many other credits sought by special interest. President Trump’s tax package cancels the Estate (Death) Tax in 2024. If you please, “it would be hard to argue that’s a benefit for the middle class.”

If we tax personal property at the rate of inflation and not on market value — would that not seem a fair method? (The way I see it – the death tax relives 100 percent of the tax burden on the deceased). Why must one die to receive fair taxation. End of homage to Mr. Leigh.

Like myself, our President is also sorely tired of aggressive union leadership, advantaged graft by leadership in general (especially politicians), federally sponsored “Davis Bacon Act” circa 1931. Designed to hold down emerging construction companies by forcing union wage rates as the standard on all federal construction jobs. (Advantage sought by wealth).

What motivates Pres. Trump in his effort to “drain the swamp” is facts I learned while working for a New Jersey – nationwide crane rental company. Private businessman Donald J. Trump paid like everyone else who required construction equipment on construction sites, an inspection fee of $5,000 — after first paying the inspector $5,000 under the table. When working in the state of Connecticut, (aggressive legislative fund seekers imposed a $10,000 bridge survey which was charged unilaterally, plus a $3,000 overweight permit) on equipment  coming into their domain. (We know these tactics as the “Robinhood” effect).

For the next two decades I worked for two major crane companies. Unable to compete with a crane rental and steel erection company of my own, I was forced to sell when interest rate hit 25 percent — steel erection is labor intensive and must be funded with borrowed capital — most jobs you could have hundreds of thousand in labor cost before receiving payment from the general contractor.

I am not against wealth: that was my initial and confirmed goal, to become wealthy. I know why considerable businesses failed — I put blame on Wall Street banking and NAFTA (1993) (NAFTA allowed American business to seek cheap labor offshore). President Trump apparently understands everything I have written.

I built two golf courses in Colquitt County. Both closed when my customers were forced to take minimum jobs.

I feel like we should support Pres. Trump as he forces legislation on our neighbor countries in the form of tariffs. While the tariffs may not be advisable, I cannot think of a better way to get wealth to the table. Removing wealth from Democrats and their union partners sure has them upset. (The Supreme Court vote of 6/27/18 has removed $20 billion from the union coffers; the loss to Democrats is also considerable.)

Tom Rogers

Moultrie