Taxing Bush With Presidential Precedents

Well, Robert Scheer once again plays the class warfare card (“Let Down His Rich Pals? Over His Dead Body,” Commentary, Jan. 8). Liberals always want bigger government, higher taxes and more social programs that don’t work. Any fool knows you don’t raise taxes during a recession. Not to mention Scheer’s blaming President Bush for the recession (even though it began a year before he took office). Both Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy cut taxes, which vastly increased revenues. They were smart enough to realize supply-side economics is the way to a better life for the greatest number of people.

If it weren’t for our free market and, yes, capitalist economy, I would venture to say that liberals like Scheer wouldn’t be free to espouse their misguided attempts at compassion. True compassion encourages self-reliance, hard work and pride in our country, not government handouts.

Stan Bush

West Hills

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Scheer has ventured beyond his usual misleading innuendo and stumbled into egregious error when he charges that Bush will be remembered “as another Herbert Hoover” under whom “the government went broke catering to the wealthy.” Hoover raised taxes. As the country slid from recession into the Great Depression, he raised income taxes and increased the top rate from 25% to 63%.

James R. Adams

Bradbury

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Let’s put to rest the myth that ignoring the economy was Bush Sr.’s downfall. He was a colorless administrator with no vision who had a huge spike in his poll numbers during a war administered by his staff. Sound familiar?

The public is (rightfully) so stunned, horrified and revolted by the Sept. 11 attack that it would rally around any halfway competent president, and that’s all that’s occurring. As time passes, people realize the U.S. military response, while wonderfully effective, was crafted by military and Cabinet advisors. They also slowly become more aware of the empty domestic agenda Bush Jr. has to offer.

Bush’s tax cuts and the war have taken us to a deficit in one year. Bush wants more tax cuts. Bush has learned nothing and is merely repeating his father’s mistakes. We can only hope that the pattern will hold true and he will be a one-term president.

Mark Diniakos

Thousand Oaks