Letters to the editor

Fair share debate continuesWell Ms. Carter, I have to say that I agree completely with you, Mr. Harold and Ms. Hinton that disparity in taxes is not envy as Mr. Thomas suggests. It’s about equality and fairness in our society. However, that would be the only thing you all said that I could agree with. Nobody should be able to avoid paying the taxes that are due. If someone is paying less than they are supposed to, then that is against the law. However, if they take advantage of the code the way it is written, then they have done their due diligence. Both as a corporation and an individual I pay no more taxes than I am required, as you should as well. If there is a way to reduce my taxes, I take it. I do this with some disdain for the system because I don’t like the way my taxes are spent, but that’s another story. And as far as fact checking goes, It took me 3 minutes to find multiple sources showing that Exxon made 41 billion in 2011 and paid 27.3 billion in income tax. So you do need to do as you suggest and check your facts.What is a fair share? Who knows. If you were to raise the taxes on the corporations as suggested, it wouldn’t even pay the interest on the debt the country has taken on. The only way to help is to cut spending. Nobody wants to talk about that.Walter OwensCarson CitySelling out for votesIt is a sad shame that our country’s politics have to “sell out” our country for the sake of the Hispanic vote. Everything that I see in the current efforts being made toward immigration reform by all parties reflects their concern to obtain the Hispanic votes. The Democrats have to allow the 11-12 million (or more) illegals to stay so they can keep the Hispanic support and stick to their last election platform. The Republicans now have to lean toward allowing the same 11-12 million to stay so they quit losing the Hispanic votes to the Dems as they did in the last election. The cartoon in the Appeal’s Opinion page on Jan. 31 hits it right on the head (the Hispanic donkey clubbed the Republican elephant). To me, we are letting our country go wrong just for the sake of the votes. Just a few short years ago, as I recall, we just let 10 million illegals stay. In a few more short years won’t we be faced with the same thing again? Wouldn’t it be great to see our country do what is best for the country and not just do what it takes to get a vote?Bill RamsdenMinden