In last week’s paper several people verbally pummeled me over a letter I had written the week before in which I dared to discuss the “possibility of tax increases and the closing of loopholes for the wealthy.”

The writers took the position that the rich should be placed in a hands-off category because, as one person stated: “It is their investment dollars that grow companies which then hire more people and pay higher wages!”

Yes, there are CEOs who take corporate earnings and pump those dollars back into the company. Then there are others, like those on Wall Street, who earn great wealth by gambling on the stock markets. Or how about the landed gentry who inherit their money and spend their time trying to find ways to protect their pot of gold?

What about individuals who make their fortunes buying companies then selling off the assets while others move their corporate offices overseas for gain? There are different means by which people acquire riches and lots of options as to what they can do with their wealth.

Just a few days ago Jeb Bush held a $100,000 a plate dinner for wealthy patrons to attend (I’m sure Hillary won’t be far behind). The Koch Brothers plan to spend $886 million on the next Presidential election. The affluent are polluting the political process with “laying around” money. How about putting those dollars to work making much-needed repairs of federally-owned bridges and roads while adding construction jobs?

People have differing ideas as to the role the rich should play in our society. If I were wealthy I couldn’t sit in my mansion with lobbyists protecting my loopholes and preventing tax adjustments, knowing that so many families are trying and failing to make a living on minimum wage.

But that’s me.