Estate tax punishes people for success Re: “Class warfare ignores facts about families,” Dec. 12 I would like to compliment Star Parker’s excellent article. She probably should have also mentioned that estate taxes are on money that has already been taxed. The tax is rightfully perceived as nothing other than punishment for success.
The re-emergence of Germany as the major economic power in Europe soon after its defeat in World War II mainly was due to the policies of Ludwig Erhard, minister for economic affairs, who kept taxes low and rewarded success, both powerful stimuli for hard work.
In the Soviet Union, on the other hand, everybody received close to the same amount of money regardless of the amount of work done. The final result is well known. There has to be some incentive for human beings to perform. If success is punished by high income taxes and ultimately high death taxes, the result is counterproductive.
Heinz Scheidemandel, M.D.
Falls Church
Every tool is needed to fight HIV epidemic
Re: “Needle-exchange programs: a dangerous proposition,” Dec. 8 Gregory Kane’s column dismissed the impact the congressional funding ban had on local HIV prevention efforts and seemed to write off whole segments of our community as undeserving of access to tools and information that have proved effective in preventing HIV.
In addition to providing clean needles, needle exchange programs (NEPs) keep contaminated needles off the streets and help people get into addiction treatment and other medical and social services. It is well established that NEPs are effective in reducing HIV transmission without encouraging drug use.
The District has the highest rate of new AIDS cases in the country, and we need every available tool to fight this deadly epidemic.
Paola Barahona
Senior program associate, HIV/AIDS Project
Walter Smith
Executive director,
DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice
Priority is political correctness, not national security
Re: “Pentagon stacked deck on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’,” From Readers, Dec. 7 Thank you, Cal Thomas, for exposing the Pentagon’s skewed survey results on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” In all the debate, no one has bothered to ask American soldiers whether the policy should be repealed. This is because our brave men and women would answer “No!” to open homosexuality within their ranks.
Sadly, the survey is typical for a Pentagon under the Obama administration, which believes that national security is less important than political correctness. This is the same Pentagon that ignored obvious signs that Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hassan and Wikileaks collaborator Private Bradley Manning would betray America.
Worse yet, the Pentagon is a symptom of an American culture where political correctness trumps God’s righteous standards. For example, Log Cabin Republicans will not condemn Pvt. Manning’s treason because he is an open homosexual opposed to DADT. Unless America returns to biblical morality, this country simply will not survive.
Frederick D. Weaver
Washington
