Sounding off: Who really benefits from Biden’s tax plans

Letter-writer Kathleen Bollinger (“Liberals’ class envy will cost Americans dearly”) tells only half of the story of higher taxes on the rich. President Biden says he will not raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 a year, and unless she makes that much, she will actually benefit.

Even if prices do go up a bit, consider the benefits. Ms. Bollinger, how much do you pay for health insurance? Dems want free health care for all, like all other civilized countries. It works, and the pandemic should make clear the importance of keeping everyone healthy, regardless of financial ability. And can we really call ourselves the best country in the world when our bridges and roads are falling apart?

If Bollinger watches only Fox News, she probably doesn’t know that in the middle of the last century, when the economy was good and everyone had jobs, taxes on the rich were 91%. Prices were much lower than they are today. In subsequent years, Republicans have taken campaign money from the rich and returned the favor by lowering their taxes.

The rich didn’t get rich by themselves. Somebody had to build their roads, sweep their floors and cook their food. If they don’t want to pay for a civilized climate in which they can get rich, who will? The poor can’t afford it.

If you long for the “good old days,” today’s Republican party isn’t for you.

Al Duerig, Delmont

Plastic bag ban will have an impact

Just finished reading the Spotlight PA article “Pittsburgh, Philadelphia move ahead with plastic bag bans as Pa.’s preemption nears its end”. I note Waste Management reports problems recycling bags and has requested newspapers not be placed into plastic bags when setting out recyclables for collecting, as the bags jam up the machinery used to shred the papers.

In the article, Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association president Alex Baloga says people expect to get a bag when they shop. I would like to point out that multiple food merchants do not provide that experience without a payment, including Trader Joe’s and Aldi. As a regular Aldi shopper, I find it no great inconvenience to provide my own bag.

I have seen plastic bags stuck in the trees seemingly forever. And the fracking sites grow to provide the raw material to make these bags. Plastic particles have been found at the summits of the highest mountains to the deepest parts of the world’s oceans.

While eliminating plastic bag usage will not alone solve the problem, it will have an impact, if only to make us think about what we are doing to Mother Earth. It has been said, we have no plan B.

Robert Thomas, Greensburg

Blood donors should be paid

Regarding the article “ ‘Severe’ blood shortage prompts donation centers to make a call to arms”: I have a novel idea to remedy this situation. Monetarily compensate blood donors for the fair value of their lifesaving product. Let the market determine what the price of a pint of blood or plasma should be.

Blood donors have been taken advantage of for decades under the guise of “civic obligation” when, at the same time, the medical industry has profited handsomely from their good will. It is reported that the CEO of Vitalant is paid nearly $700,000 annually, while salaries of other Vitalant executives range from $420,000 to $480,000. UPMC had 2020 earnings of $20 billion with a profit of $1 billion. Average surgeon salaries nationwide are around $400,000.

Blood donations are expected to be free, yet is the medical industry inclined to make health care affordable as a civic obligation? Look at your medical insurance premiums for the answer.

Similar to college athletes who were essentially unpaid for years while the NCAA profited enormously, it is now time to make it an industry practice to fairly compensate people who provide blood.

James Zemyan, Jeannette

Church has right, duty to excommunicate Biden

As I sit here thinking about America’s precious Fourth of July and what our forefathers went through to make it so, I am reminded of the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence which begins with the following:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Unalienable rights, “impossible to take away or give up.” Or so we think. Our “elected officials” have done their best to deprive us of these God-given rights, especially the right to life, from which flows other rights. With the right to life we are given the most basic fundamental right which separates us from the animal kingdom, the right of free will. Free will offers us the option to choose to do what is right or wrong as seen from the eyes of God.

The Roman Catholic Church, as the largest Christian denomination in the world, has, by its history, taken the leadership role in presenting the truths of sacred Scripture as they were handed down from our savior Jesus Christ and his apostles.

One of the cornerstone doctrines of the church is that all life is sacred, that the intentional destruction, murder or condoning of such behavior is a mortal sin. Because of President Biden’s open and public support for abortion rights, it is my opinion that the church has the God-given right and duty to deny him fellowship and Holy Communion, i.e., excommunicate him.

Joseph Krill, Murrysville

Divided, we are falling

“United we stand, divided we fall.”

We’ve all heard this adage at one time or another. It represents so much.

The last time our country was united was nearly 20 years ago after 9/11. We came together, we flew our flags and we stood as one. It took two towers to fall, another building to be damaged and a plane to go down in a field in Shanksville and well over 3,000 deaths. We’ve been divided since. Going back to 2008 up to now.

“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

We’ve all heard this adage, too. And we are all living it.

As long as everyone, every group, has an agenda, we will never stand united again. Divided we will fall. If we haven’t already done so.

All of this is ironic since we just celebrated the Fourth of July and the 245th birthday of this great nation. God Bless America and God help us all.

Rich Briggs, Houston

Not watching the Olympics

Hey NBC (“Nothing But Commercials”) and United States Olympic Committee: You have a big problem. And the following point isn’t even covid-19 related.

You’re paying millions of dollars to broadcast the Olympics from Japan. You would like the American people to watch the events and the commercials that paid you for their opportunity to show and sell their products. But when you have athletes who supposedly are representing America, and they refuse to honor the country by refusing to honor their national anthem properly, then I’m not watching the Olympics! And when I go online to see what companies have paid you to broadcast “games,” I’m not buying their products, either.

This was a discussion at my weekday morning coffee klatch with the guys and gals. A Vietnam veteran mentioned that he couldn’t honor the athletes who couldn’t honor the country that gave them the freedom to participate in a “game” and the freedom to do so overseas, and for which he fought.

My klatch won’t be watching NBC or buying the products, and definitely not buying the hypocrisy. I hope others agree.

Congratulations; you “woke” our group up!

Robert Stoerkel, White, Pa.

God, not Christians, should do the judging

In response to letter-writer Joseph Krill (“Church has right, duty to excommunicate Biden”): Let me qualify this, sir. I am a Roman Catholic who strongly disagrees with abortion. But I choose to let the Almighty judge and punish.

Leonard Mucci, Derry Township