Practice Safe Spending

* Re “House OKs Tax Cut Plan, Giving Bush Big Victory,” March 9: We are shooting at the federal budget with a double-barreled shotgun. One barrel is the tax cut and the other is spending requests. They are talking about putting a trigger lock on the tax-cut barrel, so that if the surplus does not materialize, they will rescind any tax cuts. This is wrong!

When the economy is not good, the one thing we want is a cut in tax rates to stimulate the economy. It will bring in more revenue than increasing taxes will. To illustrate, 10% of $100 of income is more than 15% of $50. During the Reagan administration, taxes were reduced and the actual tax revenues increased. The trigger lock needs to be on the “spending” barrel of the gun. If the surplus does not materialize, then it is spending that needs to be controlled.

GORDON WALKER

Anaheim