Letters to the editor for Aug. 10
Support the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is the most important and beneficial legislation that will come before our Congress. This legislation will go to the root of what drives inflation, while addressing the high cost of medication for seniors, on Medicare. It will address our burning planet in a meaningful way, with subsidies to develop green energy sources and electric vehicles.
But the most important change is of a 15% minimum corporate tax, which is an agreement between 136 countries. It is a good thing for all nations, corporations, and us! I am sure everyone knows about the race to the bottom on corporate taxes. Big Squirt Oil Co. in Bahamas buys up Standard Oil and the tax rate becomes zero. If this were a chip manufacturer, instead, they might find it beneficial to move all their jobs offshore with them. Goodbye, regulations, taxes.
As we have lost our industrial base, American cities are compelled to tax the working poor to provide public services. Wages are low, due to the threat of more closures. But relief is on its way!
Our Congress must come together. Some Democrats working on this may want more pet programs added or enhanced. Some Democrats may want to cut taxes or increase austerity. They must agree with the current framework.
Call your representatives now, and demand that they compromise and pass this historic legislation. Oh, did I mention that Republicans are not supporting this legislation? They are busy trying to reverse the 2020 election, instead.
Dave Little, Olympia
Editor’s note: Senate Democrats passed this bill over the weekend, with all 50 Democrats and one tie-breaker vote from Vice President Harris and none of the 50 Republican senators voting for the bill. It restricts the measures in the bill to those that directly change federal spending and revenue. The House plans to take up the bill at the end of the week and then send it to President Biden for his signature.
American behavior
It has always bothered me when Americans choose the “feel good” response over objective statements. Compliments given by Americans to themselves lacked either honesty or discernment, which in turn altered situations. This applies to politics as well.
Every election year, Americans are told that they are the greatest. Never mind mass murders, drug addiction, callousness and crudeness, perpetual ignorance, increased sellout to stupidity, boycotting lifelong learning, business and profits over education, corporate and investor greed over contentment, boisterousness over contemplative introspection, noise over quietude.
During COVID’s era, immigrants — much maligned by the GOP — have been working hard, as many American voters retired early and we saw the “great resignation.”
Thoughtful opinion pages of our newspapers are vital in the common discourse of a self-congratulatory, boasting nation, startlingly unaware of its own shortcomings.
Helga Teske, Olympia
Don’t justify hatred
I do not know if it is more frustrating to see our society slipping into bias and uncritical thinking or fear that I am sliding down the same path. Great leaders for years have emphasized that revenge and retaliation should not be admirable traits. But rather we should strive to understand without letting our ethics or morals disintegrate.
However, we seem to be traveling down a path of self-destruction fueled by suspicion, hatred and ego-centrism. We return hatred and prejudice with hatred and prejudice. We despise the practice of such ignorant and one-sided view by throwing the same recipe back at the offenders.
Even our political “leaders” refuse to cooperate and understand differing viewpoints and perspectives. If somebody is not of the same political belief or background, so many of our politicians refuse to open their minds and think beyond their own selfish egos.
When are we going to wake up and realize that hatred begets hatred, revenge fuels revenge and despair breeds despair? There is no doubt that we have to maintain our ethics and hopefully high ideals. But these ideals should not be sacrificed because of fear, ignorance and anger. In short we need to stay strong against hateful and revengeful acts; but we need to be sure that we do not retaliate by practicing the same thing.
James MacDicken, Olympia