Letters for October 3, 2019

Dreamer

The American Dream is about individual freedom, liberty, financial independence and a higher standard of living for all. It is not about socialism.

The American Dream works best under capitalism with win-win transactions, free markets and providing other people with what they want.

The dream is defined by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution with the individual having undeniable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and government deriving its power from the consent of the governed.

The American Dream became vulnerable to taxation with the 16th Amendment (direct taxation) passed in 1913. The present income and payroll tax system taxes production (income, savings and investment) and wealth creation. This undermines capitalism and supports socialism.

It is time to stop taxing the American Dream with the FAIRtax bill HR 25 to repeal the 16th Amendment and move the tax base from production to consumption with a progressive national sales and consumption tax system and only one tax break, a monthly tax refund, called the Prebate ($239 per adult, $85 per dependent) that helps the impoverished the most.

Paul Livingston

Jacksonville, Florida

Not fooled

I just read the whistleblower's complaint. Who wins this argument depends on who can sway public opinion about the character of this president. I'm not unconvinced that the president isn't thinking he's actually trying to solve a crime. That it benefits him directly is just a consequence that can't be helped. I think that Trump has convinced himself that Hillary did, in fact, run child prostitution cells around the world and cheated to try and win the presidency. I also think he doesn't trust anybody or any agency that doesn't agree with his very big brain on this, so he's now taking things into his own hands. And because he and what's left of his minions are a collection of bumbling idiots, here we are. If Trump and the Republicans can convince enough people that he was actually trying to do a good thing and, gosh, he might have just bumbled it because he's not a “professional politician”—he's just a normal guy who has enemies who will stop at nothing to change the outcome of an election—he could win this. And he's a con man of the highest order. (How can one be a first-rate con-man and still be a bumbling idiot? Savant?) Schiff, I think, is doing a good job of demonstrating what happened, but Democrats are going to have to do a very good job of convincing independents, for example, that they're not hyperventilating over what one might expect from a bumbling idiot who doesn't really trust a government that lots of folks also think is corrupt.

Michel Rottman

Virginia City Highlands

Bulleted list

Let's take a look at President Trump's major accomplishments since he took office. 1) Blocking stronger gun control laws that 89 percent of citizens want; i.e., ban on assault weapons—universal and stronger background checks. (Note: So far, Japan, Uruguay and Venezuela have issued travel warnings for travel to the Unites States. And sales for children's bullet proof back packs are soaring in the U.S.) 2) Dangerously dividing the nation; inciting hate, violence and discrimination and motivating the white supremacist groups. 3) Violating women's rights. 4) Alienating our decades long friends and allies around the world and seriously weakening America's standing as a world leaders while openly embracing and admiring world dictators, while they play him like a violin. 5) Significantly setting back the environmental protection progress that took us decades to achieve. 6) Taking full credit for the recovery of our economy. Actually, the economy has been steadily improving for the last six-plus years. Trump is just riding the positive economy wave created as a result of carefully thought out actions taken by his predecessor (Obama and his team).

America, Trump has put his lying, delusions, narcissistic ignorance on the issues and childish characteristics on full display from the beginning of his term as president.

In the 2020 elections, there are three questions that we need to seriously consider. 1) What has Trump really achieved for the good of the country since being in office? 2) Does America need/want another four years of Trump seriously damaging this country? 3) Together, what we can do to correct the very wrongful path that Trump has us on?

Answers: 1) Nothing 2) No 3) Fire Trump and his congressional puppets.

Let's send the message that we are not fooled by Trump's smoke and mirrors tactics. Let's make our voices heard; vote in 2020.

Joe Ziegeht

Las Vegas