A pair of letters caught my eye in The A-T Aug. 28. One urged us to increase taxes on the wealthy, the other gave thanks to Obama. I urge readers to "trust no one" and check the facts. Just a few keystrokes will usually bring up the information you need to make up your own mind!
We can, "soak the rich" up to a point, but if we continuously punish success, it will kill the goose that laid the proverbial golden eggs. There are only so many truly wealthy people in America, and increasing their taxes - which already are out of proportion - will only impede their tendency to invest and create jobs, as with unions that demanded more and more wages and benefits until many industries moved offshore to remain competitive or just closed.
Everyone wants more and more benefits which have to be paid for by fewer and fewer people. There is a tipping point, and we are there now! The author cited the book, "The Spirit Level" by Wilkinson & Pickett. I Googled it and the results were what I expected. I'll let you do that for yourselves. The letter writer, however, has the impression that equality will heal all the problems America has, from childhood pregnancies to obesity. Where does personal responsibility enter into this?
Letter two thanks Obama for the takeover of GM and Chrysler, stiffing the shareholders and rewarding the unions for their support. GM has not paid back all their loan (and probably never will) while Chrysler sold its majority share to Fiat, an Italian firm, of all things! Now there is a plan afoot to give a $10,000 tax credit to anyone who buys a Chevy Volt, payable at time of purchase. That's taxpayer money! Your money! Ford, meanwhile, toughed it out and is doing OK on its own.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, former president and supreme allied commander, once said, in a moment of sarcasm, "If you want total security, go to prison. There, they're fed, clothed, given medical attention and so on. The only thing missing is freedom." Reminds me of the political ad in which ex-President Bill (Slick Willie) Clinton says, "President Obama want to rebuild America from the ground up." Yes, we know! Under President Barack Obama's plan, everything in America will be free except the people!
Vote for the American!
D.F. Heimrick,
McCutchenville
