Every day is Christmas in Washington
To the editor:
Finally, Review-Journal columnist Steve Sebelius has some great ideas in his open letter to Sen. Harry Reid ("A modest proposal," Sunday). I find myself agreeing with a liberal – but he had to become a conservative first.
He mentions the ongoing "fight over who should benefit from government: those who already have money or those who don’t." It seems to me that government never has enough of other people’s money because government certainly doesn’t have any of its own money. Government just takes it from those who earn it and give it to those who do not.
I now understand why liberals line up on the side of the ones who don’t have any money – they are the great decisionmakers when it comes to deciding who has too much of it. And just to be fair, Republican politicians are guilty of the exact same things that Mr. Sebelius and his buddies in Congress are. This is precisely why we have to eliminate all of the programs mentioned in his "modest proposal." Or we can just spend and spend and spend and try to borrow to cover it all.
As a matter of fact, this will be the best Christmas ever. I’m going to go out and buy a new car for my wife, remodel our kitchen (granite counter tops are really cool), paint our house, get that new AC unit that we need for the upstairs, get new carpet for the house (ours is 22 years old and looking a bit faded), get some new furniture for the family room, fix my little Hyundai (that engine light has been on too long now), get some new tires as well (they are totally bald) and borrow some money for my kid to finish college (he just can’t handle working 30 hours a week and going to school).
I can’t afford any of this wish list, but so what? It’s about time I benefit from the government because I am one of those who doesn’t have any money.
Plus, I need some medical care as well. I haven’t been to the doctor in more than 20 years. Won’t ObamaCare cover that MRI that I need on my shoulder? I will just send the bill to President Obama and a copy to Mr. Sebelius. They can take care of it for me – just like my kids and grandkids will pick up the tab for the rest of the country.
MIKE BRYANT
LAS VEGAS
Gone to pot
To the editor:
In the states of Washington and Colorado, they’re celebrating their states’ attempts to trump federal laws outlawing marijuana production and use. Their biggest selling point is the "huge" income they will derive from legalization and taxation of the production and sale of the drug.
Did it ever occur to anyone that marijuana, like tobacco and alcohol (which are also taxed), will further raise the cost of caring for those who use mind-altering drugs, as well increase crime associated with increased drug use (all types of drug use, even unauthorized prescription drug abuse).
Tobacco and alcohol have been shown to account for approximately 45 percent of the nation’s health care costs: organ damage (liver, lungs), highway accidents, fires, suicides, mental problems, etc.
I hope we Nevadans are smarter than our neighbors to the north.
LEONARD KREISLER, M.D.
LAS VEGAS
False optimism
To the editor:
Your Monday article promoted a falsely optimistic outlook on rising median home prices.
A decade ago there was an inflated number of pre-qualified home buyers. Now there are inflated sales prices because of the small amount of housing inventory on the market. The government (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) and the few banks are not releasing foreclosures onto the market.
If they flood the market with foreclosures that have been sitting there, we push prices right back down. If interest rates go up and Congress reduces or eliminates the home mortgage interest deduction, things will only get worse. Not to mention, the dollar is taking many bullets without a Kevlar vest while energy prices rise.
You just have to love the lack of business and economic sense.
TOM LUSCHER
HENDERSON
Big spenders
To the editor:
President Obama really wants to increase the 2013 tax rates on the top 2 percent. He says that’s a balanced approach to solving our deficit problems. And President Obama seems willing to allow across-the-board tax increases for all Americans, plus deep budget cuts, if he doesn’t get that tax increase on the top 2 percent.
But Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., says the increased revenue from the president’s desired tax hike would be sufficient to run the federal government for only eight days.
Let’s assume the eight-day clock begins Jan. 1. The president plans to vacation in Hawaii roughly between Dec. 17 and Jan. 6. By the time the Obama entourage returns from their 20-day Hawaii vacation on Jan. 6, three-fourths of that additional revenue will already be gone.
ROBERT R. KESSLER
LAS VEGAS
Comic wars
To the editor:
Liberals hate the Mallard Fillmore comic strip and want it destroyed, while conservatives feel exactly the same way about Doonesbury.
I’m middle of the road. These are the only two comic strips I read, and I enjoy them both immensely.
Long live the First Amendment.
FRED BILELLO
LAUGHLIN
