Readers React: Nice try, Republicans, with that failed balanced budget amendment

To the editor: As an independent voter, I’m appalled to learn that one of the major parties would so cynically and hypocritically — and transparently! — propose an unneeded and unworkable constitutional amendment for balanced budgets. (“Is the GOP’s balanced budget amendment cynical, hypocritical or both?” editorial, April 11)

Did the Republicans in Congress think voters won’t deduce or mind that the GOP concocted such a dubious proposal to provide political cover for last year’s improvident enactment of huge tax cuts for the wealthy? Sure seems so.

How sad, that willful ignorance and cognitive dissonance abound among voters and the politicians they elect. Our democratic experiment’s hopes for survival are growing ever more dim.

Betty Turner, Sherman Oaks

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To the editor: I knew that when the Republicans started pushing the tax cut bill last year, their intention was not only to give corporations and the wealthy a big break, but also to create a problem so when the deficit started climbing they could go back on the attack against Social Security and Medicare, claiming yet again that our “entitlements” have to be cut.

First, these programs are not entitlements. They came up with that term to make it sound as if they’re giving us something we haven’t earned.

Second, the same people calling for cuts are often the ones who love to tout this country as the greatest in the world. Certainly it has been for them. If we are “the greatest,” we should be able to provide healthcare and Social Security for our citizens, as many other countries manage to do.

Mary Hogg, Van Nuys

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