LETTERS

LITTLE ROCK — Support the jobs plan

Some members of Congress say to fix the economy we must remove government regulations and keep taxes for the wealthy at a lower rate than the middle class. If people hear this long and loud enough, they begin to think of it as factual. It’s not. Recent history proves both wrong.

Lax regulation of financial institutions contributed to the housing crises and the 2008 economic collapse costing thousands of jobs and homes, as well as contributed to the BP disaster resulting in loss of life and jobs and devastating environmental degradation.

Tax cuts for the wealthiest during the George W. Bush years brought little job growth and exploded the deficit. Large corporations receiving tax breaks have record profits while high rates of unemployment continue.

It makes no sense to go backwards to the policies that created the worst recession in recent memory. President Barack Obama has ideas to move us forward. He wants jobs for first responders and teachers. He wants construction jobs torepair unsafe roads and bridges. Numerous economists support his plan.

He needs Congress’ help. It’s time for them to say no to Sen. Mitch McConnell’s stated goal of an Obama administration failure. Say no to corporate influence. It’s time to work with, not against the president.

Contact your senators and representatives and ask them to stop with the politics and support working Americans. Support the president’s job bill.

TERI PATRICK Little Rock He did a bang-up job

I am sorry, but I feel Ernie Passailaigue did a bang-up job. After one year, he had a super project going. Kids were getting scholarships.

His associates were responsible for the tax problem. We lost a good man. Shame on you, Arkansas!

I don’t play any of the games, but he is truly an artist, and how did the state reward him?

NANCY LAIDLAW Hot SpringsA man needs a hobby

So Paul Krugman, Gene Lyons and Kermit Moss from Monticello (he of holy carrot coffee fame) were not enough liberal views for your paper? Now we will once again have to put up with John Brummett. On the mornings when I get to the Editorial and Voices pages, and there sits one or more of these writers taking up valuable column inches, I find myself finishing the paper a lot faster. In fact, on those days I have coffee left (regular, not carrot). Guess I’ll just use this section of the paper to line the bird cage and water the plants with the leftover coffee.

Then, with the extra time I have, I’ll use it to think of subjects to write to Voices.

I think I need a hobby.

BILL PLEGGE Hot Springs Inequality of income

Mercy me, sakes alive, and carrot coffee! What about occupying Wall Street? What are all these protests about?

Most, but not all of them, are about the alarming and unfair current inequality of income and wealth. A few decades ago, a CEO made 30 times as much as the average line worker. Now it is 300 times as much. A coach may make $4 million per year, while the president of the college or university may make $300,000. And the president of the U.S.A. makes only $400,000.

The top 10 percent now own about 90 percent of all private wealth, leaving a mere 10 percent in the hands of all others. A similar situation was true in Cuba before Fidel Castro took over.

There is not enough purchasingpower left in the hands of consumers to create much-needed jobs. Furthermore, the available jobs are fewer and fewer and they pay less and less. Then to top it all off, our federal government is so gridlocked that it can’t even pass a bill to finance government operations. In addition, we fight two wars using the sons and daughters of the middle class and the poor. Shame on us.

I think the Occupy Wall Street movement would do better by calling itself the Coffee Party, and setting forth several objectives, one of which would be to impose a high income tax on the top 10 percent, and an even higher tax on the top 1 percent.

Let it rip.

KERMIT C. MOSS Monticello Perfect combination

On October 18th, the GOP presidential debate was in session, and ironically, in Ohio, wild animals were running loose.

What a perfect combination for them both to be happening at the same time.

WILLIAM R. SHELHART Van Buren Capital-gains primer

After reading Deane Willey’s opinion, I find it necessary to respond. The reason Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than does his secretary is that the overwhelming majority of his income is made up of capital gains. Capital gains are taxed at a much lower rate than earned income from a job due to the fact that capital gains are earned by placingone’s personal capital at risk of 100 percent loss. If Buffett’s income had been earned from a job, he would pay much more taxes in both percentage and actual dollars.

It is scary that someone so ignorant is able to cast a ballot next November.

MARK TALLMAN Rogers A dentist can’t fix that

News of John Brummett’s return to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette gave me a jolt of deja vu akin to the sudden throbbing of a long-thoughtfixed toothache.

RALPH T. BAILES Mountain Home A cloud of stupidity

The Great Cloud of Stupidity continues to hover and spread over our once-great land.

School officials in Tennessee disciplined coaches for bowing their heads during a student-led prayer at a ballgame. A Texas student was suspended for sharing his view concerning homosexuality in a private conversation in class. A California family was fined for holding home Bible studies. Guns were sold in Texas and Arizona to drug dealers who used them to murder an American agent. Our government continues to spend us into oblivion.

Our leaders are lying fools and buffoons. America was nice while it lasted, but the Great Cloud of Stupidity has blocked out the sun, and the end is surely near.

DAVID DICKEY Sherwood