Letter to the editor: Foolish spending may have been target of protesters

Complaining about taxes? After reading James Jungroth’s letter I was shocked that former Sen. Milton Young had earmarks in the latest proposed bills that were actually for the flooded people of the North Dakota. Maybe I missed that earmark? Are you speaking of the late Sen. Milton Young who served as a Republican from 1945 until 1981? I don’t believe that the good senator’s idea was running the American people into the trillion dollar debt. I find it hard to believe that he or any American would support anything as foolish as the spending we have seen in recent months.

The earmarks based on the fiscally irresponsible government spending were the issues that people may have been protesting. I think the protesters would be protesting a $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film (why would taxpayers pay for this?). On a smaller scale, $2 million for a wooden arrow project (Just to name a few).

As for objecting to helping out the failed auto industry, last time I checked, America was built on capitalism, meaning some entrepreneurs (not the government) would have come in and bought up the remaining worth of the failed companies for pennies on the dollar. They would mark it up as a bad day and moved on, while maybe doing some restructuring — probably without the expensive union labor rate. I see no difference in the people in the auto industry losing their jobs (mainly to poor management) or a family-owned grocery store on the corner losing business by not being competitive or not giving people what they want.

As for looking into what the tax money would be spent on prior to complaining? This I agree with you on. This may be news to Jungroth but politicians are shoving bills through without reading what they vote on.

Jungroth asked who is paying the taxes. Taxes are being paid by the good American citizens, such as those who were protesting these taxes. But let’s remember at least the protesters still pay their taxes.

Eric Lien

Buffalo, N.D.

Tags: opinion, letter, taxes