Tax scheme foolish
The Democrats' latest scheme is to tax "unrealized" capital gains. I believe that is outright theft. Capital gains or losses do not occur until you sell stock. The value of stock can always go back down and usually does sooner or later. So taxing unrealized capital gains is taxing imaginary money since you don't have any income from unrealized capital gains.
And if you think it won't matter to you because only "rich" people will be taxed, you are a fool. Every time Congress has taxed the rich, the middle class ended up paying the taxes. If you have stock or a retirement that is held in the stock market, you are a potential victim of this scam. Any time you vote for a Democrat, you are voting for another mouth you have to feed.
JR CROMWELL
White Hall
Have toehold in GOP
Recent polls say about 25 percent of Republicans believe Joe Biden was legitimately elected president of the United States and that about 34 percent of Republicans believe humans evolved from other animals. At least that many are susceptible to the influence of reality.
For those who still believe the presidential election was stolen, I have nothing. But I will offer three possible alternatives for evolution deniers. The best one is "don't know, don't care." Two others are found in the King James version of the Bible.
Genesis chapter one says, "God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." Yes, it says the first man, which clearly means human, was male and female--"them."
Chapter two provides a more entertaining account. God makes Man, then decides Man needs "an help meet." So, he takes a rib from Man and makes his help meet, declaring that "she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Then the Garden of Eden drama plays out, which further validates the Judeo-Christian model for gender relations.
I doubt the first chapter was written by a woman, but maybe the writer's wife was looking over his shoulder. I imagine chapter two was the work of a Republican committee to counter the progressive nonsense that the first human created in God's image was male and female. They had to nip that in the bud before God became a "them."
HOWELL MEDDERS
Fayetteville
Putting the state first
I frequently read articles about neighboring states landing the construction of a new "mega facility" with "mega tax incentives" and "mega wage scales." That leads me to wonder: Why doesn't one of these choose our lovely state?
We have the space; we are centrally located in the USA and have major east/west, north/south freeways (some of it new construction); we are a day's drive from Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, St Louis, Kansas City, Memphis, Nashville, Jackson, and Birmingham, to name just a few; we have navigable water transportation systems (Arkansas, Ouachita, Red and Mississippi rivers); we have multiple technical schools, universities and colleges that could help train in the skills as needed; we have relatively mild weather; we have great recreational opportunities including water sports, fishing (world-class trout fishing), hiking, biking and fabulous parks and recreation areas.
Simply stated, an ideal place to live. It's almost heaven, as the song goes.
The bad news is that our average income levels are pathetic.
Then I read that we have yet again a tax surplus with suggestions to make tax cuts. Please hear me out before name-calling and threats. The lower-income folks need more relief for sure.
Why don't our elected officials pour more money into the economic development pool to "lure the right catch"? We don't need dirty industries. We don't need more low-wage jobs. Higher wages will raise our income levels, leading to more tax surpluses and tax cuts. At the top of my list: high-tech. As a general rule, high-tech industries have high wage scales and low pollution. A couple computer-chip plants would help solve the chip shortage and fill our dream jobs.
Put together a brain team to put the right plan together. Leave political affiliations at the door and put Arkansas first.
'Nuff said!
DUKE MONROE
Sherwood