‘Santa Can Give, Government Can’t’

The Times’ Dec. 18 editorial, “Joy of Giving, D.C.-Style,” makes a false comparison between Congress and Santa. It says, “Congress is waiting . . . to decide what to give this holiday season,” and lists five examples of tax reductions. These include tax rate cuts, more deductions and new credits.

All of these examples merely reduce our tax liability. When Congress reduces our tax liability it gives us nothing. Rather, it allows us, whether corporate entities or individuals, to retain more of the wealth which we have created with the fruits of our own labor.

Inasmuch as government creates no wealth, it cannot truly “give” anything. Therefore, Congress can only “give” that which it takes from one party and distributes it to another. Thus the Santa analogy is inaccurate.

Santa’s elves create the toys he gives. They do not take the toys from one group of kids and distribute them to another. Santa can give, government can’t. Government can only seize perforce and redistribute. Big difference.

Bruce Crawford

Fountain Valley

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Re “Looming Health Care Storm,” editorial, Dec. 17: Regarding your suggestion that the House economic stimulus plan would only reward corporations and wealthy individuals: Who do you suppose employs the majority of America’s workers? Hospitals? A jobless economic recovery is what we went through in the ‘90s--now we’re in the dumps. How does distributing federal dollars to hospitals, doctors and patients stimulate the economy more than supporting the nation’s corporations and putting cash in the hands of the wealthiest individuals who will immediately invest it into our struggling economy? Promoting class envy is counterproductive and divisive.

Kimberly Ferguson

North Hollywood