Letters To The Editor

Tue., Oct. 3, 2000

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Robin Hood approach is wrong

Government produces nothing and can’t give anybody anything without first taking it from someone else. Anyone advocating a program to benefit some class or segment of society needs to explain why a young couple trying to feed, clothe and educate their children should pay higher taxes to support another welfare program. The struggling farmer, student working to pay for college, construction workers or teachers - none of these people deserve to have their taxes raised to benefit any special interest group.

If you think you deserve to benefit from a government program, go next door to your neighbor and explain why that person should pay higher taxes for your benefit.

As a group, seniors are better off economically than any other age group. Gov. George Bush, Vice President Al Gore and Ralph Nader are all trying to buy seniors’ votes by proposing prescription drug giveaways. These drugs are not free; someone will pay for them.

Libertarians are the only ones proposing to make medicine more affordable for everyone. Their plans do not call for higher taxes or more government restrictions. For this and many other reasons I will vote for Harry Browne for president, Jeff Jared for senator and Greg Holmes for congressman. David Wordinger Medical Lake

Forget term limits, vote Nethercutt

I did not vote for George Nethercutt in 1994 because of term limits. I voted for him because I liked what he had to say. Tom Foley, on the other hand, if I remember right, filed a lawsuit against the voters of Washington state over the issue of term limits.

Richard Clear was bought by U.S. Term Limits and sold by U.S. Term Limits. This paper ran an article about Clear giving his support to Tom Keefe because the only thing that matters is the term limit issue and the defeat of Nethercutt.

Wake up, Eastern Washington. Term limits is the only issue that does not matter. If you own your own property, love to hunt, fish and play on public lands, you should vote for Nethercutt. I will invoke my constitutional right to control term limits by voting for Nethercutt in the general election. Nethercutt is an honorable man and I am proud to have him represent me in the other Washington. Gig LeBret Kettle Falls, Wash.

What price prescription help?

It’s political platitudes time for the great unwashed masses. Candidates Vice President Al Gore and Gov. George W. Bush would have me believe that I, as a senior citizen, will shortly have free prescriptions. Well, whoop-di-do. I’ve been around long enough to know that nothing is free, that there are no gift horses or free lunches!

So who is going to pay for these campaign promises? Will it be my children or, worse yet, my grandchildren? Gore and Bush, just tell me straight out, who is going to pay? And then get the heck out of my doctor’s office. Hilde Schoonover Spokane

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