Opinion

Letters: Ron Paul, political opponents, millionaires

Ron Paul has a point

Regarding "Eighth worker placed on leave" (Page A7, Tuesday), this adds ammunition to presidential candidate Ron Paul's call to eliminate at least 30 percent of all federal government agencies. This bunch spent over $823,000 at a training conference in Las Vegas and the only punishment is to place the leadership on leave? Lavish spending, clowns, commemorative coins and music videos done on official time? If this had happened at one of the big oil companies, they all would have been fired.

When I think about how hard most Americans in the private sector work to pay taxes to support federal government workers in federal agencies, it makes me very angry. America would be a much better and stronger nation without all of the government parasites feeding off the workers of America.

Dick Simmons, Kingwood

Neither is holier than thou

Regarding "Republicans and Democrats are opponents, not enemies" (Page B10, Sunday), Leonard Pitts would claim that the Republican Party bears the responsibility for today's polarized political environment. To some degree, he is correct, but only to some degree. There are radicals on both sides of the political divide, to be sure, but has he forgotten that it is the liberals who have fabricated a GOP "war on women"? I use that example specifically, as he raises the concept of opponents versus enemies. Here the Democrats clearly see the GOP as enemies.

Pitts also castigates a Republican congressman for heckling the president, but has he forgotten that President Obama himself essentially heckled the Supreme Court? Neither party can claim to be holier-than-thou.

I have long considered myself a Republican, though I have more than once voted for a Democrat for president, hoping there was some truth to the campaign promises. I have been disappointed by both parties too many times and find them equally at fault.

Theresa Foster, Houston

No warfare, common sense

Regarding "Obama camp is ready to focus on Romney" (Page A5, Friday), right now many millionaires and billionaires are paying a lower tax rate than middle-class families struggling to get by. That's not right, and it's not fair.

President Obama has proposed the Buffett Rule, which closes the loopholes and levels the playing field. We have a deficit that needs to be paid down. And we need to invest in an economy built to last - one that creates the jobs of the future and makes things the rest of the world buys.

By asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share, we can reduce the deficit and invest in programs that will grow and strengthen our economy. This isn't class warfare; it's math. It's common sense.

Gloria Trevino, Houston