Study the numbers

I find it helpful to analyze some current issues by applying simple mathematics. Here are examples for three of the currently most visible issues:

Oil profits – average profit on one gallon of gasoline is eight cents. If a reduction from $3.80 to $3.72 will improve your life, let’s take away all oil company profits. For what it’s worth, federal and state taxes are over 55 cents per gallon. Who’s really robbing us?

Health insurance company profits – average profits of health insurance companies are between 2.2 and 3.4 percent. If a reduction from $2,000 per month to $1,920 per month will improve your life, let’s disband all health insurance companies.

Taxing the rich – If we taxed the “top 5 percent” of all U.S. wage earners at 100 percent of their income, it would result in about $2.5 trillion in added tax revenue, assuming they didn’t all move away. This would barely cover our current rate of deficit spending – but before long, there would be no more rich to tax.

If you like hope, never question our president when he demonizes big oil, insurance companies and the rich. If you want change, pay attention to which politicians are proposing realistic solutions – and reconsider your party affiliation.

Alan Wolfson

Spokane