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EDITOR:
On the candidate statement in the voter’s information pamphlet Tom McClintock makes a statement, often repeated by Republicans, that is so utterly untrue and grossly misleading that I have to respond to it.
“… no nation has ever taxed, spent and borrowed its way to prosperity …” That statement is terribly wrong and upside down. Only nations that tax, spend and borrow ever prosper. I challenge anyone to come up with even one instant in history where a nation — that is all or most of the people living in a certain area — prospered by cutting expenses and lowering taxes. Individual dictators or a few Oligarchs do prosper by cutting taxes.
Example: Roman Empire. They prospered by conquering their neighbors and taking from them what they wanted, i.e. taxes. They spent that wealth on building roads, aqueducts, police forces and education (for Romans only) and other infrastructure.
Another example: Take any small business and cut any and all spending including wages and benefits, no expenditure on tools or equipment, if it breaks don’t fix it, do not learn anything new. So, how will that business be doing in a year or two?
Look at the tax rate for the wealthiest Americans and set it side by side with the prosperity of the nation. There is a very direct correlation between the two: high taxes for the rich equals prosperity for all Americans, including the very rich. Low taxes for the rich equals poverty for the nation, and less wealth for those rich folks too.
Unless we as a nation realize that we have to spend money and people power (education) to prosper again, we will continue on the decline to a fourth world nation, the way the Republican controlled Congress is strangling us right now.
Thanks for your attention.
URS SCHULER
Placerville
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