LETTER: Transportation plan would help

To the Editor:

Has anyone noticed that during the past week or so, we’ve heard very little from Republican talking heads, about how President Obama has driven up the price of gas? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that prices have started to fall, down about a dime the past week and about 25 cents lower than last year at this time.

So what will be the complaint-du-jur this time? How about the unemployment being stalled at 8.2 percent? That could work if it weren’t for the fact that the Tea Party faction of the Republicans are holding literally hundreds of thousands of good paying construction jobs hostage, just to make the present administration look bad.

Even John Boehner, who may go down in history as one of the weakest House speakers ever, has come out in favor of the transportation bill that would put all these folks to work. The speaker says he’s for it, but he can’t get enough of his own party to go along with the Democrats and pass it.

The Tea Party folks say the bill is just another example of unnecessary deficit spending. Let’s examine this for a second. Unnecessary, according to Webster means, “not necessary, or not needed.” Now it seems to me that when bridges are in need of repair or need rebuilding (i.e. Interstate 35 bridge collapse) deficit spending becomes necessary. Let’s face it, there are a lot of Interstate 35s waiting to happen, and a lot of highways all across this country that are not just in disrepair but downright dangerous.

The Republicans say how are we going to pay for the bill? The Tea Party says get rid of social programs (isn’t this always their answer?). The Democrats say raise taxes on the rich, which actually makes sense.

For the job to get done we must raise revenue. That’s just a fact. Where does this come from? You can’t raise taxes on the poor, they haven’t got anything. You can’t tax folks who are out of work (the former middle class) for the same reason. That leaves the rich. Why did Bonnie & Clyde rob banks? ‘Cuz that’s where the money is.

Here’s a novel idea, pass the transportation bill, which will put Americans back to work at good paying construction jobs. These people will become taxpayers once again, revenue would go up and with a modest tax increase on the wealthy we could be on the path back to prosperity.

One thing is for certain. If we keep on trying to make the other guy look bad, no one prospers and we all as a nation will suffer

George Richard

New Richmond

Tags: letters to the editor, opinion