What?

Deficit reduction must increase revenue

   In the present political wrangling, people seem to lose sight of the fact that our government is controlled by rich corporations and the financial sector. Struggling working families did not create the current debt crisis, caused in large part by people who created unethical mortgages and financial derivatives.

  The rich increasingly control our government, regardless of who is president or which party controls Congress

   Now that we are in this debt ceiling crisis, Congress wants to cut programs that help low-income families, many of whom lost jobs during the recent financial crisis. Programs which have proven to be effective, such as Head Start and Child Care Development Block Grants (should not be cut. It will cost the taxpayers a lot more if children grow up and go to prison or to the emergency room for the flu. Children need to be educated so they can get living-wage jobs.

   Any deficit reduction agreement must include increased revenue. For example, why should corporations be allowed offshore tax havens and rich citizens get tax deductions for all of their homes?

   I ask our Congressmen Mike Simpson, Raul Labrador, and Sens. Mike Crapo and James Risch, to vote for a deficit-reduction plan that includes new revenue and doesn’t cut programs that help low-income Americans. We will build a stronger America as we support people’s efforts to acquire education and jobs.

   Right-vs.-left fighting conceals the problem of top vs. bottom. Let’s create a stronger democracy, not a stronger plutocracy. n Kathleen Moyer, Nampa


Hip, Hip, Hooray Kathleen Moyer.  You make sense.  Just making cuts will not do the trick.  We have to go over the taxation codes and remove loopholes for the rich.  They need to pay according to their wealth just like I pay according to my wealth and you do too.  Come on folks let's take back our country and let's stop allowing the rich to take advantage of us.