Congress hijacking economy
12/21/2012I am a “2 percenter.” Do those in Congress who are fighting to protect me from paying a couple of thousand dollars extra in taxes really think they’re doing me a favor (“Living on the edge; President, speaker look for leverage on fiscal cliff,” Dec. 2)?
While they’re hijacking our economy, we can’t obtain any return on money in the bank. Our 401(k) accounts are going into long-term stagnation because fiscal uncertainty constrains the markets from moving upward.
Our sons, daughters, relatives, and friends can’t get jobs because businesses are understandably afraid of the what-ifs. Banks won’t extend credit to the lucky people with jobs, so no one can buy or sell homes, leaving all of our property values in the Dumpster.
To those in Congress who are trying to protect me, please stop. You’re killing us with your kindness.
STUART CUBBON
Kenwood Boulevard
Obama failing to fix economy
With his recent budget proposal, President Obama continues to show no inclination to tackle significant spending cuts. The President’s focus is on raising taxes on those with annual incomes of more than $250,000 and blaming Republicans if there is no deal by Jan. 1.
Bluster and threats solve nothing. A tough-minded plan to reduce spending is imperative. Any responsible proposal must include multi-trillions of dollars in spending cuts over the next 10 years, which the President’s proposal all but ignores.
Until President Obama gets serious about genuine spending cuts, Republicans must hold firm to their principles.
If President Obama continues to ignore the warning signals and fails to cut spending, he will have no one to blame but himself.
RICHARD KETTEMAN
Sylvania
Wealthy include Democrats
The writer of the Dec. 12 Readers’ Forum letter “GOP fails to help the 98%” contends that the Republican Party cares only about the wealthiest Americans. This must be a grand gesture of bipartisanship by Republicans, because it would also protect the wealthiest Democrats.
Why is President Obama stuck on raising the marginal tax rates on upper income? Because he knows that raising the marginal rates without closing loopholes first will allow rich Democrats as well as Republicans to cheat the U.S Treasury.
The Republican proposal of closing loopholes and reforming the tax code for the wealthy is the only solid proposal for raising revenue.
We then might actually tax the wealthiest, both Republicans and Democrats, all in the spirit of bipartisanship.
WILLIAM NICHOLS
Waterville Township
Wow, a politician who keeps word
What’s with this Obama character? First, he gets re-elected, at least partially because he claimed that he wanted to raise taxes on the ultrawssrich.
Now that he’s in for another four years, he’s keeping his promise. He will never make it in politics with that type of attitude.
DAVE DILLON
Swanton