Luxury Tax and Cries of Pain in Newport

I want to thank The Times for giving their readers a view of the greed and selfishness that exist among our more affluent citizens.

After reading “Luxury Tax Plan Brings Cries of Pain in Newport” (Oct.2), I got a deep pain in my gut knowing that purchasing $13-million yachts and $10,000-plus diamonds can make the “elite” members of our society happy when there are Third World conditions existing in the good ol’ U.S.A. (see Sept. 30 article regarding the high infant mortality rates in the Mississippi Delta).

My question is: Why are they whining when they can afford to pay this tax on articles that are not essential for sustaining life and the government that the poor depend on needs their help? I am sure they have benefited from the Reaganomics era and will continue to do so.

Meanwhile, the poor get poorer; more and more become homeless, go hungry or live in Third World conditions because the federally funded programs that would have assisted have been cut.

So, for those who feel that a luxury tax is unfair, consider that it costs nothing to live in poverty.

RICKEY V. WILLIAMS

Irvine