Corporate Tax Breaks Will Not Create Jobs

Re “How to Restart the Engine,” Opinion, Oct. 28: Just how would David Friedman define rich Social Security recipients so that their benefits could be reduced? His article is meaningless without this definition and does nothing but promote class envy. Furthermore, it will not restart the engine but, most likely, it will have the opposite effect.

Rather than punish Social Security recipients by reducing their benefits, for which they worked many years to obtain, I would suggest that the federal government review its programs for waste and reduce its spending, thus letting the taxpayers keep more of their money. Yes, I receive Social Security.

Stan Trinaystich

Monrovia

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Call me unpatriotic in my dissent, but President Bush’s attempt to cloak his corporate tax-cutting scheme in patriotism or even economic stimulus smells like treason to me. It will undermine this country’s ability to defend itself against enemies foreign and domestic, something turncoats do.

Both Ronald Brownstein’s column (“Forgoing More Tax Cuts Is the Price of War,” Oct. 29) and Tom Toles’ cartoon (Commentary, Oct. 29) make plain that the Bush administration will run any course, conquer any opposition, to pay back the corporations that put it in power. And the corporations will take it, patriotism be damned.

J.R. Gribble

San Diego

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I agree with the House Republican majority that the best way to stimulate the economy is to act in a way that creates jobs. However, for my place of employment, that means winning contracts. When a contract starts, they often hire. When there are no new contracts, people are sometimes laid off. A change in the tax structure that improves company profitability will increase the pay of a few of the top-level managers whose incentives are profit and will not create a single job.

Russell Reece

Manhattan Beach