Raising Taxes

I find the logic in Robert Kuttner’s column amazing (“A Brief Taxonomy, in Case Bush Reads Other Lips,” Op-Ed Page, Nov. 28). It is difficult to understand why more money should be taken from taxpayers and handed to muddled bureaucrats as if they knew how to spend it.

When two-thirds of the federal budget is used for failed social programs and 60% of defense spending is for defending wealthy foreign nations, how can we not cut federal spending? If you won’t read George Bush’s lips, then read ours, “We’re tired of footing the bill!”

However, there is an alternative. Instead of taxing the most productive segment of society, maybe we should tax ex-Presidents, congressmen, and columnists who have bad ideas.

JAMES A. BROWNFIELD

Pomona