‘Economic Witchcraft’
Rep. Henry A. Waxman’s letter (Jan. 18) in regard to the Gramm-Rudman Act was an excellent statement regarding our government’s operation. He may not realize it but what he said was the U.S. government has been taking 10% (now about 15%) of labor income as Social Security taxes, has been taking 17% of income as income tax, has been spending at the rate of 30% of all income and has not provided adequate security for the populace as promised. We now have a populace that is at risk and dependent upon a bankrupt government.
He calls Gramm-Rudman a sledgehammer. That fits right in with the old adage referring to first getting the attention of a mule with a 2x4 before trying to get it to do anything. If nothing else, our Congress is a mule.
The people dependent upon Medicare are that way only because our government made promises that we could not keep. Quite bluntly, our government lost its credibility decades ago when it embarked upon socialism. Socialism has proven itself to be a worldwide failure. It is past time to work out alternative solutions.
DEAN H. HICKS
Costa Mesa
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