Divided we fall
Thank you, Michael Grigsby, for telling it like it is (Tribune-Herald, Your Views, Nov. 19). And I wish the many of us who have these same thoughts would quit sitting around and grumbling to ourselves and friends about the condition our country is in and would do something.
If more and more people would let their feelings be known in letters to the editor, maybe the ones in power would wake up, quit fighting among themselves and give us some hope for a grand-old United States of America there once was.
Michael states he is “a child of what has been called ‘The Greatest Generation.’” Well, I am part of “The Greatest Generation” and have never seen our country so divided. We are morally, spiritually, financially and lawfully poor.
Let’s all let them know we are not in accord with the way things are and bring them back to where we can say, “I’m proud to be an American.”
Muriel Maxine Jenkins
Keaau
Tax cuts for wealthy
Tax cuts? It doesn’t make sense! It’s a Christmas present we, the people, don’t want — even after Christmas!
Tax cuts to increase corporate spending? For what? Corporations already have invested millions and are still doing it, regardless of tax cuts. Hey, look at the stock market. Share prices of corporations are at all-time highs. These companies don’t need a tax incentive. Nor do all of them want it. A tax cut might jeopardize their corporation’s valuation and cause instability and uncertainty to their revenue stream, as well as existing infrastructure. In that sense, tax cuts are unintentionally disruptive to their plans and future strategies.
Lower tax rates for the rich? Oh, yes, the rich will save a lot by paying less taxes, but it doesn’t mean they’ll spend that windfall money. I mean, why should they spend it? Instead, keeping that money means they’ll then have even more wealth. Hence, the rich get richer.
Give the tax break to the poor guy earning $10 per hour, so he can buy enough gas to drive to his two jobs without having to worry about running his car on fumes.
So, where will all the money come from to pay for all of this? Through taxes and borrowing. But we know you can’t borrow your way out of debt.
Our elected representatives waste so much time and energy arguing, and this is the solution they come up with? Even more astonishing, Republicans are now considering a backup plan for raising taxes automatically in case their tax cut plan doesn’t pan out.
Why didn’t they think about that at the beginning? “Oops! Lately, too many voters are making noise about our GOP plan. We better think of some distraction …”
We, the people, voted them into office, but for what? Maybe we should ask ourselves why?
Lloyd Fukuki
Waimea