Trickle-down doesn't work, pay debt first

Trickle-down doesn't work, pay debt first
EDITOR:
I was deeply disappointed by President George W. Bush's speech pertaining to his proposed tax cuts. As a father of nine children, I certainly could use every dollar that I can get. I feel, however, that with a national debt of more than $5.5 trillion, his recommendations are irresponsible, reckless and naive. He seems to be pursuing President Ronald Reagan's ill-conceived notions of the trickle-down theory in which the wealthy benefited greatly but the poor got poorer.
David Stockman was Reagan's brain child of that lop-sided theory that tripled the national debt. After resigning, Stockman admitted that his policy really could not work. Reagan's charming demeanor threw the masses off balance and he succeeded in deceiving the populace.
I am a child of the Great Depression, and I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I learned early in life that when you amass a debt you must pay for it. If you do not pay, the interest will consume you until you reach the point of no return.
President Clinton recognized that fact and did an exemplary job of managing the budget regardless of what his detractors have expressed. He was totally committed to paying off the national debt and did not believe in reneging on it so that our children do not have to be faced with that burden.
Think of what it would be like to live in a debt-free country. We could then get terrific tax cuts.
I view President Bush's proposals much like a crowd of pre-schoolers turned loose in a candy store unsupervised. Another common analogy is the fox assigned the duty of guarding the chicken coop. I just hope that when George W. Bush reaches into the cookie jar, in his fervor to grab more cookies than his hand can hold, that he will be unable to remove his hand over-loaded with cookies. I would like to see the Democrats set a mouse trap inside the cookie jar and watch Bush agonize over his dilemma.
BEN PAULSEY
Warren
Could an employee stock plan save Tartan Textile?
EDITOR:
With the impending closing of Tartan Textile Service, could not the employees with the help of the Teamsters and local and state governments buy the company via an E.S.O.P.? It seems it would be an excellent opportunity to become a minority-owned business.
My heart goes out to those people who after working so hard for all those years are losing their jobs. I doubt they will get much help from the state, as the state seems hell-bent on destroying a system that once was a model of efficiency.
Replacing an interview with voice mail. How about those no-bid multi-million dollar contracts associated with this debacle. Are you listening to Bob Hagan? It will be interesting to see who the ex-director of this combined failure of a program winds up working for.
In regard to Tartan, this area doesn't need another boarded-up building full of rusting machinery or any more loss of tax base. Something must be done now.
LOUIS BERNDT
Mineral Ridge
Trooper helps teen deal with unwanted accident
EDITOR:
I do not know his name, but he is the state trooper who arrived at the scene of the accident my son was involved in on Feb. 28 on Salt Springs Road.
I have always told my son, if you haven't done anything wrong, you don't have anything to be afraid of. The trooper proved this point in every way that day.
My son was so upset that someone had hit the car that he had only made one payment on. He wasn't concerned about himself, just his car. The trooper was wonderful with him. He managed to calm him down and made him see that he really wasn't at fault, just that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Police officers and teen-agers don't seem to mix at times, but my teen-age son had nothing but praise for this trooper. I personally want to thank him for that, I think he deserves to be recognized, and I wish there was more I could do.
SHARYN McCROBIE
Austintown