Letters and comments: June 20, 2021


The ultra-rich not taxed on the growth of their wealth

If there has ever been an example of utter naivety, Fred Shay’s recent letter on taxes paid by ultra-rich American taxpayers does the trick.

Obviously, he missed the recent three-page USA Today article that shed light on the facts about how people like Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, Elon Musk, etc. have paid little or no income taxes in the past 15 years. The key word is “income”. Most of these people receive little or no income. They have found loopholes in the tax codes that allow them to do things like use their investments as collateral to borrow money and amortize the interest on those loans. What they should be forced to pay are taxes on the growth of their wealth, some countries already have such a system.

Imagine for a second … if the rich paid taxes on the growth of their wealth, there would be no national debt and less taxes for those of us who pay proportionately more than our fair share.

Cynthia K. Williams, Titusville

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, who is the richest person in the world, paid no income tax in 2007 and 2011, according to a report from Propublica.

Tap water with fluoride for me please

I want to thank the anonymous donor who sent me the box of purified water; however, I prefer tap water with fluoride.

I used to buy bottled water for convenience; then with the drought, I realized that the big companies were exploiting our water supply systems for profit and also contaminating our oceans with plastic bottles.

As millions of people depend on bottled water, we are fortunate to have quality tap water. By purchasing refillable water bottles, you can save money, visit the store, stock up on plastic bottle packaging, and most importantly, help prevent plastic pollution of the oceans.

Save the environment – use tap water with fluoride.

Anne-Marie Martino, Titusville

We need more “mothers”

The federal government is redefining “mothers” as “people who give birth”. It comes from the Office of Management and Budget. They claim it is about removing references to gender from government programs.

At first I thought, “OK, just another ‘awakened’ idea.” What bothers me is that when I hear “mother” I think of someone who nurtures, protects and wants the best for their child. When I hear “people giving birth,” I get the impression that we are raising humans without consequence or care. for the future of a child.

Since the government pays money to people who have children through Child Tax Credits, Medicare and Medic, SNAP, and TANF, the term “people who give birth” may be more apt. Have a child. Get more money.

I think I prefer, and I think we need more “mothers”.

Jim Witte, Palm Bay


A veteran offers thanks for the good care

While we recently honored those we remember on Remembrance Day and look forward to Veterans Day in November, I want to thank the VA clinic in Viera.

The clinic sets an example in terms of professionalism and exceptional medical care. I have been patient since it opened and have nothing but congratulations on the operation. I have observed that patients are treated with respect and dignity even when they try to provoke staff. Prescriptions are filled and messages delivered to caregivers through the My Healthy Vet website. In my experience, caregivers always answer their mail.

I want to be recorded with my personal thanks for a job well done.

Benjamin Abramowitz, Melbourne

The Problems of Critical Race Theory

In your recent article on the state of Florida banning the teaching of critical race theory, you failed to point out that it draws heavily on Marxist critical theory and postmodern writers, denounces American and Western culture. as oppressive, and often claims that American culture and institutions are promoting “systemic racism” or “white supremacy.”

One of its main supporters was the lead author of The New York Times Project 1619, which claimed that the US War of Independence was about fighting the British to preserve slavery. This has been debunked by renowned historians, and the author was recently denied tenure at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Some critics have said that supporters of ideology apply Marxist “class struggle” tactics to lead people along gender, race and ethnicity, rather than between the “proletariat” and the “bourgeoisie” . These are the underlying reasons why it is forbidden to be taught in our schools.

Raymond J. Land, Satellite Beach

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