Letters for November 21, 2013

Budget cuts and taxes

Re “A low-down, dirty, shameful dozen” by Sasha Abramsky (SN&R Feature Story, November 14):

The food-stamps budget has increased 135 percent in the past five years. These “cuts” would change that to an increase of 125 percent from five years ago. The financial aid one is hilarious, as well, given the government is on the hook for $1 trillion in loans with a 15 percent default rate.

You forgot the main way that Democrats are anti-female choice: higher marginal income-tax rates. If you are a dual-income couple, and you happen to make a moderately successful living in a high-cost state like California, one spouse's marginal tax rate is very likely over 50 percent and could be as high as 63 percent. Why work when you almost two-thirds of your money goes to other people? Give women the choice and the chance to stay in the workforce by lowering tax rates.

David Frick

El Dorado Hills

Cool mayor?

Re “Strong mayor, weak priority” (SN&R Editorial, November 14):

I am at a loss to understand what problems the strong-mayor proposal is supposed to address. Perhaps Mayor Kevin Johnson could outline what would have been done differently if the strong mayor had been in place for the last few years. While 60 percent of the 50 largest cities have a strong mayor, 40 percent don’t. Are these 40 percent less well-governed? The decision to keep the city council at eight members makes it possible for the council to deadlock, which further increases the power of the mayor. If a change is necessary, or even desirable, please let us know the reasons. We hope that they will be more substantial than “All the cool cities are doing it.”

Eric Levinson

Sacramento

SN&R part of propaganda machine?

Re “A low-down, dirty, shameful dozen” by Sasha Abramsky (SN&R Feature Story, November 14):

There SN&R goes again with the bullshit that poor Americans, people of color, and women are all victims of the evil Republicans! Different week, same tired old bullshit! Just like The Sacramento Bee and the rest of the leftist dominated news media, SN&R continues the war on anyone who dares to not go along with being a slave on the Democratic Party’s entitlement plantation. Because Democrats are worried about the political fallout from the complete failure of “Obamacare,” no doubt SN&R’s Democratic Party propaganda machine needs to run full-blast for the upcoming elections. So, how much is the Democratic National Committee paying the skanky whores at SN&R to publish this bullshit propaganda?

Sylvia Martinez

via email