Education President

In your editorial “Midterm Grades for ‘Education’ President” (April 25), you make some valid points. The family is linked to educational success. It is in all of our interests to encourage better-functioning families. Certainly flexible work hours will help, affordable child care will help, and health care for uninsured Americans will help. Unfortunately, this is only a Band-Aid.

The America family is being destroyed by the power of taxes. (See “Recovering the Strengths of Ozzie & Harriett” by Elaine Ciulla Kamarck, Commentary, April 25.) The need for two incomes in one family has played a major role in weakening the American family. Flexible work hours, child care and health insurance programs should be issued with an apology: “We’re sorry that we have to tax you to a level that makes it difficult to exist, but here are some token programs to ease the pain, good luck!”

Easing the tax burden on families and giving credit to stay-at-home mothers would greatly reduce the need for child-care subsidies and ease the problems of families who are without health care insurance because they could not afford it.

W. CLIFFORD ISHII

La Palma