Criticism of the President's Policies

The article "Bush Pressured to Respond to Domestic Scene," Nov. 20, outlines signs of a disturbed economy which should have been predictable nearly a decade ago. Many people who earned $12 to $15 an hour are now earning roughly $5 to $7. Many are out of work. A disturbing number who once could afford to buy a home now cannot.Where did all the money go? The answer is simple: Into the hands of an increasingly small number of people. Examples include: the elimination of the 51 percent tax bracket for the wealthy; lack of enforcement of antitrust laws resulting in multibillion-dollar leveraged deals; and winked-at graft that produced the S&L failure - paid for by those who didn't run off with the billions. Such examples are the result of fiscal policies which are destroying the middle class. A prime aim should be to redistribute wealth. A good way to start, beyond enforcing existing laws, is to restore a fair tax on the wealthy. Ralph W. Emerson, Tacoma, Wash.

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