Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 2, 1993 TAG: 9310280311
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
As usual they, and Bob Dole, have ignored the facts in favor of vitriolic fiction.
Fact 1: In 1982, Dole, as President Reagan's Senate majority leader, pushed through a tax bill that, when adjusted for inflation, was about $1 billion larger than the Clinton plan (and it was signed by Reagan).
Fact 2: The economy did not collapse and jobs were not lost. In fact, nearly 13 million jobs were created by about 1987 (for which Reagan took credit).
Fact 3: Small businesses (fewer than 100 employees) employed 42 percent of the private-sector labor force, the same as in 1982, the year of the tax increase, as in 1987, the year of the survey.
Fact 4: Both Reagan and Bush passed a 5-cents gasoline tax, which is greater than Clinton's 41/2-cents tax.
With this increase in tax income and conservatives in command, how come we are so far in debt? It makes me wonder which, really, is the tax-and-spend party.
PHILIP ROSDOL
ROANOKE
Citizens can think for themselves
WHAT PART of "yes" don't county Supervisors Bob Johnson and H. Odell Minnix understand? Don't they know that the majority of voters said it, or is it that they just don't like the answer?
Mayor David Bowers was elected by the same citizens who voted for consolidation. Shouldn't we expect our leaders to continue to work on problems that didn't disappear with a simple vote? Perhaps we had a clearer "vision" because our elected representatives did a better job of explaining the benefits instead of fear mongering.
County voters gave Johnson and Minnix the power to represent them, but I doubt they were given the right to "think" for them. If one voter changes his or her mind, it's because he or she has taken a closer look at the facts and made an informed decision. What problem do these gentlemen have with their constituents becoming more informed?
The Roanoke Times & World-News recently ran an excellent Peril and Promise series on population profiles and trends in the greater Roanoke Valley (Aug. 15 news article by Jeff DeBell, "Not everybody retires and moves to Florida. And where are the kids?" and the Aug. 16 article by Laura Williamson, "Everything is here, except the job ... ''). Those articles should signal a wake-up call to valley citizens. It's time we looked past our next election date to a future 20 or 30 years from now. Maybe we should look at other areas like Charlotte, the Research Triangle, or Tidewater and ask: It's 1993. Do you know where your children are?
ANDY ROBERTS
ROANOKE
Arabs treated benignly
THE NEW York Times, television and radio, CNN and wire services now routinely call land that was the heartland of the kingdoms of Solomon and David, and which was never legally Arab land, "occupied territory." The acceptance of this historically inaccurate term by the West is essential to Arab efforts to de-legitimize the 3,000-year Jewish tie to Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) as a prelude to setting up the second Arab-Palestinian state. The first is Jordan.
We must address the repeated Arab lie that the Palestinian-Arab population has been denied its basic human rights for a quarter of a century. The reality is that no nation in history has treated a hostile population - driven by culture and religion to destroy it - in a more benign manner. The Arabs in the West Bank are better off in every regard than they were under Jordanian occupation from 1948 to 1967. It is well to remember the second-class status of Jews living under Arab rule, and that no Jews are allowed to live in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and most other Arab countries.
ALVIN W. FINESTONE
CLIFTON FORGE
GOP's one-note song went flat
RECENT letters to the editor complaining about higher taxes and being critical of the budget plan must have originated from people who listen too much to right-wing call-in programs or to the gridlock senator from Kansas. During the congressional debate on this plan, Republicans were more interested in distorting thetruth and damaging the Clinton presidency, while protecting their wealthy friends.
Deficit reduction requires both tax increases and spending cuts. How could you otherwise reduce it? Everyone is in favor of general spending cuts; however, people have second thoughts when they realize that substantial deficit reduction will require not only new taxes but also severe cuts in benefit programs such as Social Security, Medicare, farm subsidies, veteran benefits, federal pensions, etc. Are these the programs that letter writers want to cut? Not likely!
The Republican alternate plan was more of the same trickle-down economics, which created the current financial mess in the first place, with unfairly low taxes for the rich, but putting much bigger burdens (higher taxes and lower benefits) on the middle class, the working poor and the elderly.
HENRY W. TIELEMAN
RINER
A good sign amid troubles
WITH WAR in Bosnia, massacres in South Africa, despair in the Midwestern United States, you would think, as seemingly sensitive, normal people, that those in Southwest Roanoke could find something a little more earthshaking to gripe over than that of Highland Park's School of Excellence sign! Stop behaving like immature, bickering children! Be proud of Highland Park's accomplishments, its students and teachers.
Anyone who can't see this sign as one of proud, deserved achievement needs to turn on the news and put their efforts into a needier cause.
PAIGE CONNER
ROANOKE
by CNB