WOU deserves investigation by AG

Something was missing from your editorial (Feb. 15) in defense of Jeff Maxwell and his bout with the "board" at WOU.

What is missing is an investigation by the state attorney general and dissolution of the Gestapo-like board that has usurped the rights of a citizen. The idea of having to take a mental test illustrates the immature mindset that seems to be the rite of passage of a "student" these days. What other "laws" will the board come up with: No religious symbols or books on campus?

Perhaps a leave of absence is in order for the president or whoever is in charge of the facility. It might be a good idea for the legislature to assist the attorney general in seeing what other "boards" are running loose at WOU.

It is one thing to regulate parking on campus, it is something else to assume the the privilege of lawmaker, judge and jury.

Paul Tanksley, Dallas

Get off Al Gore's back! He was smart!

I get really tired of conservatives deriding Al Gore for having once claiming during a campaign stop to have invented the internet. Al Gore in fact sponsored important legislation that enabled the creation of the internet. So in that way, he did in fact "invent" the internet. Ok. So it was a exaggeration, but Al Gore is right about science a lot. So much so that he is a very rich man, having invested early in Google and Apple Computer. He knows that Conservative America would not allow him to win an election. But the world needs more people like Al Gore who understand and trust in science, in government, or out.

Jim Sackinger, Corvallis

Tax business and customers pay

Re: Ms. Habe (Letters, Feb. 15), Oregon fair share business.

Rich's Axiom: Politicians tax business because they are cowards, they think the people are not smart enough to know that customers are the ones being taxed.

To the American people:

1. My customers are my only source of money.

2. If you tax my business, my customers are the ones who actually pay the tax, I only collect it.

3. Business in China does not pay the tax, that gives them an advantage over me.

4. When the advantage is large enough, I go out of business.

5. I have to lay off my employees.

6. Your children used to work for me, they now flip burgers or are unemployed.

7. You make your purchases at a big box store where the products come from China.

8. You blame American business for trying to avoid the tax that makes them non-competitive.

American business is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination - recent banking debacles make me crazy - but there is no getting around the fact that we have been taxing manufacturing out of the United States since WWII.

We used to have a big advantage, but now we are paying for it. Politicians have always been cowards, (See axiom), but with the new standard in Washington, where it is reasonable to cheat on your taxes and become Treasury secretary in the Obama administration, I do not see anything happening soon. Eight hundred billion dollars and not one congressman read the bill that they voted for. Is that the change that you can believe in?

Rich Kellum, Albany

Stimulus cuts down on freedom

On your Feb. 15 opinion page, Wendy Habe ask us to support Obama's stimulus package that raises taxes on people in the name of fairness. While the stimulus package has been passed, not one of the senators or congressmen who voted for it read the entire 1,075 pages of the bill when they passed it. It never saw the public light of day before it was shoved down the throats of the American people by the Democrats.

There is a reason for this, and if one studies the last depression you will realize that this depression, just like the last, was purposely caused by the government. To force socialism on the American people, you have systematic intervention in the free markets. By ruining our lives they can move the country toward a "change" from freedom of markets and life to socialism.

What Wendy is asking us to accept by the new rule of the socialists is new laws and regulations that run our lives. Laws that will let government run and ruin our health care, take away our rights to free speech (and call it fairness) and register to take away our guns.

If these are the changes you want, then by all means support this corruption of the freedoms we have had in America. However, if you want what the Constitution guarantees you, your right to freedoms and our pursuit of happiness, then you better start working to make sure you and not the government get to make the choices in your life.

The stimulus is a big step that gives Americans no choice, and if you accept this nobody in America will ever have choice again.

Jim Farmer, Albany

Not much luck with Obama nominees

I'm making a list and checking it twice, just to find out who's naughty and nice. Let's take a look at some of President Obama's nominees:

Bill Richardson, commerce secretary, withdrew, (alleged fraud).

Tom Daschle, health and human services, withdrew, (tax evasion and influence peddling).

Nancy Killifer, chief performance officer, withdrew, (tax evasion).

Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury, confirmed, (tax evasion), He said that he didn't understand the Form 1040 and Turbo Tax tricked him. Do you think we will get some sympathy?

Hilda Solis, secretary of labor, withdrew, (Tax evasion and Treasurer and Board member of an organization lobbying for a bill that she introduced.)

Eric Holder,attorney general, confirmed, (Recommended that President Clinton pardon tax evaders).

William Lynn, deputy secretary of defense, confirmed, (Lobbyist for a defense contractor).

David Ogden, assistant attorney general, (law career defending pornographers).

More than12 current or previous lobbyists have been nominated for high ranking positions.

Was President Obama serious or was it a lack of knowledge of history or another "59 of the United States" comments. In his first public interview that he chose to do on the Muslim television channel, he said he hoped that U.S., Islamic relations could be the way they were 20 or 30 years ago. Thirty years ago Iran was holding Americans hostage for more than 400 days.

There is more, but I am out of words.

Charles R. Nelson, Corvallis

Tax amounts: More than fair

Wendy Marie Habe thinks that neither businesses nor individuals earning $250,000 or more per year are paying their "fair share of taxes." What exactly is the definition of "fair"? How would that be quantified?

A single person earning $250,000 per year and taking the standard deduction would pay $64,689 in federal income tax, $21,455 in Oregon income tax, $6,234 in Social Security tax, and $3,625 in Medicare tax. That's a total of $96,003, or 38.4 percent of his gross income. Isn't that enough? If that's not "fair," what would be?

PepsiCo just reported a profit for the year of $5.14 billion. Their federal tax liability on that will be $1.8 billion, or 35% of the total. Additionally, they will pay state and local income taxes, matching payroll taxes, property taxes, unemployment insurance taxes, utilities taxes, and fees that will push the total tax burden well north of both the $2 billion and 40 percent marks. Doesn't that seem more than "fair"?

Individuals earning $250,000 or more represent less than 2 percent of all earners, but they pay 40 percent of all personal income taxes. Federal revenues from corporation income taxes more than doubled from 1997 to 2007 to $370 billion. If you combined the federal income taxes paid in 2007 by corporations and individuals earning over $250,000 per year, it would total over $830 billion.

Once again, what is the definition of "fair"?

John Brenan, Corvallis

GOP: No record to be proud of

Jeff Limon wrote a defense of the Republican Party. (Letters, Feb. 1, "Remember Republican history"). But nothing he mentioned has happened in the last forty-five years. What have they done for us lately?

They have destroyed environmental regulation, cut taxes primarily for the wealthiest Americans, ruined our international reputation for honorable treatment of detainees, and invaded our civil liberties at home.

The Republicans became the party of "Borrow and Spend" on their way to big government. Jeff's fondly remembered party vanished many years ago.

He leaves out accomplishments like an unnecessary war in Iraq which has not been "won" in seven years. He leaves out a failed economy, much of which is due to a concerted Republican effort to prohibit oversight of financial institutions. He leaves out accomplishments like removal of scientific reason from environmental regulation processes.

He leaves out incompetent oversight that wasted millions of dollars on half-built Iraqi prisons; built by people hired for their political allegiance rather than their ability to get the job done. Heck of a job, Bushie!

The Republicans continue to march like philosophical lemmings over the cliff of tax reductions. Their "one size fits all" solution to every problem of reducing taxes on the rich failed under G. W. Bush. They took over the government in 2001 with a surplus and a strong economy. How is it now? They ran America into the ground like a teenager with a stolen car.

Why is it they will vote to overdraft our tax receipts for Iraqi schools and bridges, yet use the argument of fiscal responsibility to avoid repairing the American infrastructure they let fall apart?

I too long for a good government; and I am at last once again hopeful, now that President Obama is in charge.

Jim Birken, Corvallis

Fairness applies to everyone

The "Message to Salem" letter (Feb. 15) states businesses and people that make over $250,000 should start paying their fair share taxes. Should not everyone pay their fair share of taxes?

I believe Oregon has one of the higher business tax rates of the states. The more we tax these businesses the less money they will have available to employ people. Some of these businesses if taxed at higher rates will have to leave the state or eliminate jobs. I believe the present government is trying to support businesses to create jobs with the President Obama stimulus package.

Wendy, you say that these businesses should have signs in their windows stating if they are fair-share tax payers. If they are taxed to much, what you may see is signs stating, going out of business, or closed for good. Let's not kill the goose that lays the golden egg!

May be we could cut some of the services of the people that are not legal residences or not fair-share citizens. Start cutting the illegal users of the system.

We should be looking at ways of building our state up, which will create jobs and put more money in the system, so we do not have to increase the taxes for social services. As soon as we learn there are no free lunches, the better we will be able to cope with our needs.

Ray Bidwell, Albany

SUNDAY LETTERS should be e-mailed to news@dhonline.com, with "Sunday letter" on the subject line.