| Cyberletters for Thursday 04/12/2001 First Amendment must be preserved
It is really frightening to realize how little the citizens of this country actually know what is going on in Washington. I am referring to the writer who was appalled that Sens. Phil Gramm and Kay Bailey Hutchison voted against the McCain so-called reform bill. She should feel blessed that our senators from Texas are trying to preserve the First Amendment, which lets us speak freely. John McCain is trying very hard to get rid of the First Amendment and make it possible for him to stay in the Senate forever, since no one will be able to say anything against him! Please, read and listen to what this campaign is about. It certainly is not about money!
MAGGIE JENKINS, Dallas, Texas
Doom and gloom attitude to bring bad times back
It is sad. I was born 82 years ago to a school teacher mom and an officer in the Air Force. During my young life, the stock market crashed and it was a time of deep depression. Kids had to work to help out however they could.
I have a deep concern that this present leadership, with their doom and gloom attitude, will bring that situation back again. When George W. Bush announced that he was running for president, I prayed that the American people would not elect him. The first few months show that he does not understand what needs to be done and his super ego will not let him admit it.
He has brought back some of his father's advisers and they weren't great, not even the first time. He has brought on some new people who, I am sure, are very smart people, but they have not got the experience needed for the federal field. Given time they probably will.
I don't know what it will take to stop the free fall of the stock market. George W. is selling doom to the people, just to put in a tax break that only he and his rich friends want. Lord only knows what will happen when he really gets into dealing with the rest of the world, but I don't think that I want to witness all of this. That's why after 82 years I am making plans to leave the place I love best.
KYLE ADKINS, Garland, Texas
Neo-Marketing
One hopes that President George W. Bush gets in his tax cut. We need to pay for all the innovative marketing schemes the new MBAs come up with. What with rebates, telephone bill fluff, toll roads, included gratuities, etc., a tax cut might help us tread water.
A case in point is "rebates." If your rebate return is about the same as mine, you have the batting average of a major league shortstop (not withstanding A-Rod). If your rebate return-on-time average is like mine you have the batting average of a major league catcher (not withstanding Pudge). I bought a cell phone from Circuit City on Dec. 5 with rebate of $50 due within 10 weeks. As of April, I still don't have it. After numerous calls to the rebate center and the store, at least I am now in the "system." As if I didn't know what the "system" is (we got your money - try and get it back). I never knew a rebate center with so many telephone numbers that wouldn't answer the ring, or so many people who weren't "in today." One girl told me that the fax that I sent with all the information from the original submission would take a week to arrive. Perhaps we should check Professor Einstein's calculations. The speed of light seems to have slowed down. The store suggested that I buy another phone and try for another rebate (even I didn't fall for that one). And to think I used to complain when I read the enclosed tag on Christmas morning "batteries not included."
KEN FISHER, Rowlett, Texas
President Bush is a winner
Once again we have a fine example of the continual movement to the left of The Dallas Morning News. Just explain to me how a $1.275 trillion tax cut for the American people is to use your adjectives: a setback, a stumble, a body blow and an unsuccessful effort when President Bush in his campaign advocated a $1.3 trillion tax cut and once it comes out of conference will probably be closer to $1.4 trillion. But you seem to be unwilling to tell it straight and more interested in trying to make President Bush look like a failure. Where is the story about the Democrats and Al Gore wanting a $300 billion tax cut? President Bush is a winner and more important the American people are winners. Because of the efforts of our president we will have more of our money to keep in our pocket to spend as we please.
CAROL BEILHARZ, Dallas, Texas
Communication failure?
Evidently you folks don't watch Channel 8, who frequently refer to continuing stories in the next issue of The Dallas Morning News. A recent investigative report showed the dangers of tattoos, due to the extreme likelihood of contracting Hepatitis "C." The very next morning, in The News, there was a feature about current fashion trends. The male subject sported a very large, ornate tattoo on his left arm. Failure to communicate?
L.R. KLEIN JR., Richland Hills, Texas
Successful cheating minimal
You do a great disservice to the American taxpayers with your article in the Sunday Reader April 6. The article asserts IRS claims that "if everyone paid his full share, it would amount to an additional $195 billion a year in tax revenue." The only support for that claimed amount is an IRS assertion with no substantive support. While the article states that one's chances of an audit are significantly less than previously, in fact, current IRS computer systems subject every tax return to audit procedures. Every item of reported income is compared to the income reported in the return. All deductions are compared to statistical norms. Discrepancies are noted and computer messages sent to the taxpayer - all without human intervention. Only the human review of documentation supporting one's deductions has been reduced. The likelihood of successfully cheating on one's tax returns within this system is minimal. The IRS currently seems to be filling the airwaves and printed press with stories of tax cheating, based solely on it own unsupported assertions. It would seem that they are chafing under the new restrictions that they have been placed under, and are looking for ways to recover their ability to mistreat taxpayers again. Using the technique of telling a lie often enough to make it true seems to be their means of villainizing taxpayers as cheaters with sufficient frequency to enable them to regain their former unchecked powers and to obtain increased budgets and manpower. One would think that the press would be more skeptical in their review of these IRS assertions.
The article refers to a gray area "between honesty and cheating." That also misrepresents the nature of the taxpayers' decision-making process. Gray areas do not include cheating. Legitimate tax and accounting decisions can have a range of acceptable choices. The tax code is very complex. Numerous studies over the years have caused tax questions and situations to be submitted for answers to different tax personnel at IRS offices. In every study, each IRS representative gave different answers and different results. Given the complex nature of the tax code, it is at least as likely that the average taxpayer overpays his taxes as underpays them.
JOHN R. BARNES, CPA, Dallas, Texas
Why cheat the IRS?
Re: "Cheating the IRS."
I find it hard to understand why people will knowingly cheat the IRS. I find it even harder to understand why those cheating have the audacity to complain over road repairs, social security, and public schooling! Don't these people know that it is because of them that these things either do not get done or they are done at an unsatisfactory rate? All that they are doing in the long run is cheating themselves and those around them.
THOMAS CATON, Dallas, Texas
Negative headline not appropriate
Re: Senate deals blow to President Bush's tax plan.
I found your headline to be strangely negative given the nature of George W. Bush's accomplishment in getting a budget approved in the Senate with a tax cut of almost $1.3 trillion. After all, less than a year ago the idea that any tax cut of significance was possible was scoffed at when Mr. Bush was campaigning. Remember, too, that Al Gore campaigned for a paltry $300 million cut, so what Mr. Bush got approved in the Senate vote was over four times what Mr. Gore wanted. It was also almost twice the $750 million the Democrat leadership was trying to hold it too. Last, but definitely not least, the vote was 65-35, in a Senate split 50-50, with fully 15 Democrat senators crossing lines to vote for it, making it bipartisan to boot. I'd say a pretty good day's work given the hurdles that had to be overcome.
Now, with the House having voted for the full $1.6 trillion Mr. Bush submitted, the negotiation between House and Senate can only raise the number passed by the Senate, as the final jointly passed tax cut in the budget will be between the $1.3 trillion Senate version and the $1.6 trillion House version.
Care to try another cut at the headline? Say, something like "Senate confirms that a major tax cut in excess of what was unimaginable only a few months ago is now inevitable as House and Senate prepare to negotiate final budget."
BILL FELLO, Dallas, Texas
Where are Bush's priorities?
George W. Bush proposes to cut the tax rate for the wealthiest Americans by 6 percent.
True, these people pay about 20 percent of the total income tax, but under Mr. Bush's plan, they get about 40 percent of the total tax cut. Under this plan the average millionaire, if there is such a thing, would get a $60,000 refund. Even though the national debt is over $5 trillion, even though the interest Americans pay on this debt is over $50 million a day, even though there are millions of American children with no medical insurance, even though a large segment of the tax base, the baby boomers, are about to reach retirement age and dramatically increase the Social Security and Medicare payments the government spends and dramatically decreases the amount of taxes being paid into the government, George W. Bush thinks giving millionaires a $60,000 refund is a good idea. Wouldn't it be better to pay off the debt and make sure Social Security and Medicare are solvent before we start writing checks to millionaires?
JIM LOVELL, Richland Hills, Texas
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