Letters and comments for July 19, 2011

Middle class collapsing

To the Editor:

I am an Oregon grandfather writing to President Obama, Sens. Wyden and Merkley and Rep. Smith on behalf of all our children and grandchildren.

Pivotal decisions are being made about the national budget that will impact the lives of virtually every American for decades to come. As we address the issue of deficit reduction, we must not ignore the painful economic reality of today — that the wealthiest people in our country and the largest corporations are doing phenomenally well while the middle class is collapsing and poverty is increasing.

Everyone understands that over the long-term we must reduce the deficit — a deficit that was caused mainly by Wall Street greed, tax breaks for the rich, two wars and a prescription drug program written by the drug and insurance companies. It is essential, however, that deficit reduction plans reject Republican demands for savage cuts in desperately-needed programs for working families, the elderly, the sick, our children and the poor, while not asking the wealthiest among us to contribute one penny.

The overwhelming majority of Americans believe that deficit reduction must be about fairly shared sacrifice. At least 50 percent of any deficit reduction package must come from revenue raised by ending tax breaks for the wealthy and eliminating tax loopholes that benefit large, profitable corporations and Wall Street financial institutions. A sensible deficit reduction package must also include significant cuts to unnecessary and wasteful Pentagon spending.

We must not yield to outrageous Republican demands that would greatly increase suffering for the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society. Now is the time to stand with the tens of millions of Americans who are struggling to survive economically, not with the millionaires and billionaires who have never had it so good.

Bill Whitaker

La Grande

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