It always comes to helping the rich get richer
Western Springs, Ill.: Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans want to tie funding for Israel to cutting funding for the Internal Revenue Service that would crack down on wealthy tax cheats. This is a venal, transactional appeal to Republicans’ ultrawealthy big donors, some of whom may be tax cheats.
This proposal echoes the Trump-Republican tax cut that included the largest corporate tax cut in U.S. history — from 35% to 21% — at a time when corporations were doing well and so many ordinary people were struggling. Money is so important for winning elections that politicians, especially Republicans, are willing to contort themselves to appeal to big donors. This is why the superrich continue to get richer while so many others struggle. Billionaires sometimes contribute tens of millions of dollars, meaning one or a few of them can buy more political speech than tens of millions of ordinary people combined. This is thanks to the Supreme Court’s 5-4, precedent-overturning 2010 Citizens United decision, which permitted unlimited contributions. The five justices in the majority were appointed by Republican presidents.
During the Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower administration and before and after, the highest marginal personal tax rate — the tax on the highest part of the highest income — was just over 90%, which discouraged astronomical CEO compensation and left more money to pay workers. Unions were strong and were a counterbalance to corporations, so productivity gains were shared between workers and corporations, and the middle class was growing.
Public funding of election campaigns would reduce politicians’ focus on big donors and motivate them to consider everyone, which is how democracy is supposed to work. Richard Barsanti
Welcomed back
Manhattan: After two Sundays without Justice Stories, I and I’m sure many other Daily News readers were glad to have it back. Robert Iulo
Leading man
Bayside: I have grown weary of countless Medicare commercials, mostly the ones featuring Jimmie Walker and Joe Namath. But when William Shatner arrives, I am there. As always, he remains pure class, dignity, charm, humor and more. He is a pleasure to watch. To me, he will always be Captain Kirk of the Enterprise. Sarah Alboher
No warning
Cedarhurst, L.I.: In all of the letters from Voicers, nobody has stated the fact that Hamas indiscriminately — at all hours of the day and night — sends rockets into Israel. I haven’t seen one word that they informed civilians to get out of the way. As I write this letter, within the last hour, rockets have been fired at Netiv HaAssara, Sderot, Ibim, Nir Am, Kissufim, and just now at Azor, Petach Tikva, Kfar Kassem, Ayanot Ness Ziona and Giv’at Shmuel. Check out the app Red Alert. It’s time to ban Kool-Aid! Peace will come, hopefully, if Hamas is no more. Am Yisrael Chai. Ellie Weiner
Amplified claims
Bronx: Re Leonard Greene’s column of Nov. 5 (“Amy Schumer is misusing Martin’s support for Israel“). In his penultimate paragraph, Greene states: “But indiscriminate bombing that results in endless civilian casualties isn’t justice.” In this one sentence, Greene deftly echoes Hamas’ unconfirmed and unsupported claims that Israel has engaged in both indiscriminate bombing and endless civilian casualties. Hamas has never been noted as a source of valid or reliable information. It hides among the civilian population of Gaza and is a valid military target. Israel is noted for taking extraordinary actions to reduce collateral civilian casualties to the greatest extent possible while it attacks Hamas. Greene acts like a mouthpiece for a reviled terrorist organization, intentionally or unintentionally. Shame! Don Appel
No comparison
Brooklyn: To Voicer Kimball Shinkoskey: How dare you compare what Israel is doing to the Palestinians, who are used as human shields by Hamas because they do not care if they kill their own mothers? You say an eye for an eye, one for one. There are 1.2 billion Muslims in this world and 10 million Jews. I’m not sure if you’re good at math, but figure out the numbers. How many Palestinian women were burned, raped, had their children’s heads cut off or were put in ovens and burned alive? You are just an antisemitic, ignorant man who has no clue of what is really going on. Miriam E. Berman
Thinly veiled
Pleasantville, N.Y.: If anyone read between the lines of the pro-Palestinian supporters, you would find that they aren’t advocates for peace between Israel and Palestine, and they blame everything solely on Israel while almost ignoring the actions of Hamas. Some of the signs and chants actually call for more terrorist attacks, especially when using words such as intifada and jihad. Other forms of new antisemitism have included harassing Jewish students, vandalizing posters showing the hostages and even planning an assault on Jews coming out of a plane. Let’s not forget that when Palestinians protest, they throw rocks and Molotov cocktails, and assault Israeli civilians and soldiers. For some reason, this is never the case for pro-Israel protesters, who actually advocate for peace and don’t even try to act violent or harass those who oppose them. Tal Barzilai
Evil deeds
Brooklyn: Voicer Lawrence Sweet, in his praise of Muammar Gaddafi, conveniently leaves out Gaddafi’s order to bomb Pan Am Flight 103, causing the deaths of 279 innocents and then blackmailing Great Britain to release the main perpetrator in return for oil. Robert Weissbard
Something’s up
Manhattan: If you have nothing to hide and are sure of no personal wrongdoing when a campaign fundraiser’s home is raided by the FBI, you simply pick up the phone, get a status update, maybe ask your lawyer to look into things — well, no. With a chance to plead for billions in migrant aid from a recalcitrant White House, Mayor Adams immediately skips the meeting and flies home. Why did he put his campaign and continuing fundraising ahead of NYC and millions of New Yorkers? Certainly innocent until proven otherwise, but if added to some questionable personnel decisions, it makes you wonder what is going on behind the scenes. John Brindisi
Familiar pattern
Pearl River, N.Y.: Here we go again. Another Democratic mayor of a major city is caught up in a corruption probe. Mayor Adams has been bragging about his connection to Turkey and how many times he has traveled there. Let’s see how the Democratic Party spins those statements and backtracks what he meant. He will deny that he knew anything about how the fundraising was done and who contributed to his campaign. You need to know how much money you have in order to spend it on ads and other expenses. Also, politicians are told daily about big donors and that they should be acknowledged and rewarded with cushy positions if he is elected. I bet they will say he misspoke and his statements were taken out of context. Robert Brennan
Election denier
Basking Ridge, N.J.: To Voicer Vic Presutti: I’m at a loss for how guys like Matt Gaetz not only get support but get elected to important positions, which makes them dangerous. What a great guy to put in this spot. He knowingly supports that Donald Trump won the election. The Trumpsters will ask, “Well, how do you know?” Here’s how I know he had no proof of a fraudulent election: ’cause there was none. You think Fox News paid nearly $800 million by settling out of court because they were innocent of the charge that they knew the election was legit but supported Trump’s lies because they wanted Republican power? They say they are innocent but give up nearly $800 million anyway? And knowing Trump planned Jan. 6, then Gaetz says let’s not give medals to cops who saved lives, and some died. Think about that. Joe Tierney
Doing harm
Forest Hills: It is unfortunate that doctors and the pharmaceutical industry have forgotten the hardships seniors are up against. We are at the mercy of doctors. Some claim they’re honest but are not, and are only interested in the money. They have forgotten what a medical license stands for. They operate and make big blunders and expect us to pay for their mistakes. Do you think that’s fair? Laura Kuraner
Voice of the People
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