Dear Editor:

In his recent letter, Mr. Frank B. Durham, claims that the Republican party is "against the working man." I challenge Mr. Durham and all Americans to stop regurgitating the words of the media spin doctors and start thinking for themselves.

I am, by no American measure, a wealthy man, but when I walk on any production floor, I consider this: That someone with a vision built this business. He or she poured their money, blood and sweat into it, and yes— probably became wealthy. Because of that, I and 10, 20, 100, 400, or even 1,000 families are able to put food on the table. And what do you think that visionary did with much of his/her wealth? They poured it back into the capital pool that keeps this nation's economy moving that keeps us innovating, that keeps us building new manufacturing plants, and that keeps us from sending every manufacturing job to China, Japan, Indonesia, or Malaysia.

I'm sure that Mr. Durham has bought into the myth that Bill Clinton is responsible for our present economic prosperity, and that Al Gore invented the Internet. After all, we heard that on TV, it must be true. However, regardless of political affiliation, we have seen that this administration is long on taking credit for the accomplishments of others, and short on telling the truth. It takes little thought to realize the prosperity in the 90s was the fruit of seeds planted a decade earlier: Tax relief that poured billions of dollars of capital into the businesses that created the manufacturing jobs we hold today.

If there are any reasons for providing tax relief to the wealthy or big business— I might propose two: First, even with significant tax breaks, they would still pay the lion's share of the nation's taxes. Secondly, so they will take that money and invest it in new technology and new manufacturing plants so that poor men like Mr. Durham, myself, and our children will be able to feed our families in the future.

However, we can consider the alternative vision that I believe Mr. Durham is espousing. Tax the rich to the point where we choke the economy and continue to send manufacturing jobs overseas, and if that doesn't work, pass such restrictive, unwarranted environmental and labor legislation that companies are forced to curtail or shutdown production and move overseas.

Either way, Mr. Durham, they will meet their objectives and you and I won't have to worry about paying income tax since our jobs will be gone. Let's all think for ourselves before we mimic the Democrat's spin doctors or their allies. Don't just listen to what they say, watch what they do!

Mr. Durham, in the future, don't bemoan the loss of that which you failed to protect.

John A. Valade
Danville


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