Yes, our country is broke
Editor:
Jerry says, “We’re not as broke as Republicans say.”
Say what? Reality check: The federal debt stands at $16 trillion today, up from $4 trillion in 2000. (That’s trillion, $16,000,000,000,000.) The federal budget deficit has been approximately $1.2 trillion per year for the last four years.
Jerry suggests that the deficit and debt problem can be solved by taxing the rich. One estimate of the Obama proposal to raise tax rates back to a 39.6 percent marginal rate on those earning more than $250,000 per year would produce $162 billion in additional tax revenue over 10 years. That’s $16.2 billion per year compared with $1.2 trillion per year in current deficit spending.
Beyond the $16 trillion in current federal debt lies the unfunded liabilities of Social Security, Medicare and other “entitlements,” estimated to be in the $50 trillion to $60 trillion range extended into the future.
So, is the United States broke, or what?
Some good news: There is a way to solve the problem. It would be instructive if both Courant op-ed writers, Jerry Fabyanic and Robert Houdeshell, could comment on what they think the solution is.
Jim Leonard
Evergreen
Hayden would make a good commissioner
Editor:
Clear Creek County could not ask for a more a qualified person for the job of county commissioner than Tom Hayden. I have known and worked with Tom since 1978, and I consider him to be fair, knowledgeable, honest and a most loyal friend.
Tom’s former lumber operation, Hayden Forest Products on Upper Bear Creek Road, supplied me and countless others in the area with blue-stain beetle-kill lumber and hand-peeled logs that we built and decorated our homes with.
It was the end of an era when the local sawmill closed, but luckily Tom continues to offer advice when called upon, and is versatile in all areas of land use and stewardship, conservation, water issues and the wildland fire threat. He’s familiar with all areas of the county and knows the needs of the communities well.
The knowledge of Clear Creek County that Tom possesses will not be found in many other people, and that is the main reason Tom has my vote for Clear Creek County commissioner in District 2.
D. Rush
Evergreen