Dear Editor, A lot of politicians are talking about extending
the Bush tax cuts claiming the it would raise taxes in the
”
middle class.
”
However the news media is trying to redefine middle class to
include people making $200,000 a year. Is $200,000 a year middle
class?
Time to eliminate Bush tax cuts, they are not for the middle class
Dear Editor,
A lot of politicians are talking about extending the Bush tax cuts claiming the it would raise taxes in the “middle class.” However the news media is trying to redefine middle class to include people making $200,000 a year. Is $200,000 a year middle class? I don’t think so.
The average American family income is $46,326 a year. Someone making $200,000 earns more that four times average. That seems rich to me. They are also in the top 3 percent on the income scale. That’s on the rich end. In my view if you are in the top 15 percent that would be rich. So $100,000 a year in my opinion is a rich person.
So I really resent the news media’s assertion that we should extend the Bush tax cuts because it raises taxes on the middle class because it’s just plain false. The Bush tax cuts were for the rich and the rest of us are having to pay for it because it was and continues to be paid for with borrowed money. And borrowing money for the rich to be paid for by the poor is just plain wrong.
Marc Perkel, Gilroy
Citizens should fear a government intent on power through gun control
Dear Editor,
“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms … disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes … Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.” – Thomas Jefferson
Gun control started in colonial times where he who had the gun had the control. The idea was to take the guns away from the bullies and criminals. The idea is the same now but it still doesn’t work. Somehow they still don’t abide by laws.
Check out what has happened to all the other countries that banned guns. Mexico has always had strict gun laws. They now have rampant gun violence from drug gangs. Australia had the greatest increase in crime ever when they banned guns.
Should you have the right to protect yourself, your family, and your property? Or, be forced to just wait until the police arrive to write up another victim’s story after they are devastated or murdered.
A government that is afraid of an armed citizenry is a government you should fear.
John Herren, Gilroy
Good riddance to the vinyl, music far better since the CD came out
Dear Editor,
I don’t know who Connor Ramey is or what his musical credentials might be. As for myself, I played the violin for 60 years before giving it up because of arthritis in my fingers. I also played a bit of guitar, mandolin and tenor banjo. I played in symphony orchestras my whole life, including the South Valley Symphony. I got to know the works of all the major composers from the inside out by playing them in rehearsal and concert.
I also played in a bluegrass band and dabbled with traditional New Orleans jazz. And I have attended many, many concerts as a listener. Classical, bluegrass, traditional jazz, cool jazz, folk, blues, etc. At one time, I had season tickets to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I count many, many musicians as close personal friends.
At the age of 72, I may have arthritis in my fingers but I am still blessed with excellent hearing in both ears. So what do I listen to at home? I have a sound system with two Klipschorns and a Belle Klipsch speaker. They are driven by a Sony ES series receiver. I have a CD player and a 400 CD changer, and approximately 800 CDs total. I started buying CDs some 40 years ago when they first became available.
One of the things I did was to search out the vinyl albums I enjoyed, on CD. I now have almost every one of the LP vinyl albums I ever owned, on CDs. Most were recorded from the original master tapes. Years ago, I got rid of my vinyl LPs and my turntables. I have never regretted doing so. I listen to my system several times a week. I enjoy doing so almost as much as going to a live concert.
Yes, I have “Dark Side of the Moon” on CD. As an electrical engineer with two degrees and a bit of professional experience in digital signal processing, I know how CDs work. But what matters is how they sound.
Ramey’s statement that “some of those noise pops and crackles are what makes listening to a record such an intimate and enjoyable experience” strikes me as just plain silly. He is entitled to his opinion. I know a few other folks who agree with him.
To each his own. For me, vinyl is dead and gone, and good riddance.
Robert Gilchrist, Hollister
