Today’s L.A. Times letter to the editor, because our voices matter:

Re “French unveil 75% supertax,” Sept. 29

The article forgets to mention what the French get in return for their high tax rates. All French citizens have access to nearly free medical care, and in emergencies, doctors make house calls. The French get paid maternity leave for 16 weeks and free medical leave to take care of a sick relative. Nurses visit homes for free, private day care is heavily subsidized and parents receive a subsidy for every child born. Single parents get an additional allowance. Some people receive a state-paid housekeeper if medically warranted. The French believe preventive medicine is better than curing a disease that has gone untreated.

Workers in France receive an average of more than 35 paid vacation days per year, and they don’t work the long hours we do. They linger at the table and digest their food. Life is not about work.

Marianne Sauvage

Los Angeles