To the editor:

I am the proud grandmother of five grandkids under 7. (I will gladly show you pictures.) Grandparents help out whenever we are needed, and that can mean sending money from time to time. As we all remember, we were the poorest when we were investing in our own young families.

We all hear that ending the Bush tax cuts will only affect the rich. Well part of the Bush tax-cut law raised the child credit from $500 to $1,000 per child. If that is allowed to end, it will cost my family $2,500.

Our withholding was lowered last year, and if that continues, that $2,500 will have to be paid out-of-pocket. Whose pocket will that come out of? Our younger generations won’t have that money.

Did you know that families now have to pay close to $2,000 a year to the Seattle public school district for each child who goes to kindergarten? Healthcare costs are going up, not down. So I am putting money aside to help.

You may think we must be rich for the tax cut cancellations to affect us. Not so. If you combine all three families together, we don’t even come close to the $200,000 income level that is deemed to be rich for one person.

This is only one part of the tax-law changes proposed. There may be more that will touch your family and mine, but this one is messing with my grandchildren. Don’t mess with grandma bear’s cubs.

If you believe that the Bush tax cuts were only for the rich, I am here to tell you the tooth fairy is not going to bail you out when your taxes come due. At least now it won’t be a surprise.

Sharyn Mellors

Coupeville