Dear Editor,
Even though I haven’t been a resident of Pocahontas County since I graduated from WVU in 1970, I still take interest in what is happening there. I will always consider Marlinton my “hometown.”
When I receive The Pocahontas Times, I turn to the Marlinton Mayor’s Corner, looking forward to Mayor Felton’s concise updates on matters of civic importance and his patience in trying to explain the limitations of city government to his constituency. I wish the mayor in the town I live in now did the same!
Footnote: Yes, I moved three thousand miles away and still landed in Hillsboro!
All the best to everyone back “home” and Go Mountaineers!
Harriet Johnson Ottaviano
Hillsboro, Oregon
Editor,
John Jackson’s letter to the editor on socialism made several strong points. Socialism and communism appear to be gaining renewed appeal among many voters in the United States. On the surface, these systems seem to offer solutions to many of the problems we face. Their supporters often present them as a cure-all while portraying capitalism as inherently evil. The argument is that if we tax the wealthy and expand government programs, society can achieve utopia. What advocates of this view often overlook is that human nature cannot be changed by wishful thinking, nor does it fit such an unrealistic vision. Historically, when these systems have been tried, they have usually failed – often badly. The typical result is a government controlled by a small group that refuses to give up power, supported by a large and inefficient bureaucracy.
Capitalism is far from perfect, but in the real world it has produced more innovation and lifted more people out of poverty than the alternatives being promoted. Our system is not pure capitalism; it includes checks and balances, however imperfect, to limit greed.
With that in mind, consider one idea progressives often support: taxing the rich.
In the United States, wealthy individuals already pay a large share of taxes. Increasing that burden too much can drive capital elsewhere and weaken the tax base. We have seen examples of this in Great Britain, where wealthy individuals are leaving with their assets in record numbers, as well as in many heavily taxed cities and states. Even when these consequences become clear, the left often doubles down on failure rather than adjusting its approach. That said, there is room for improvement in the United States. Our massive and often corrupt tax code is full of loopholes that benefit the weal- thy and reflect the influence of money in politics.
Current tax rates are sufficient, but the loopholes should be eliminated. Many industries also receive subsidies through tax dollars, which increases the national deficit and distorts the market.
Before embracing socialism/communism, voters should study the history of these systems and examine how they function in countries today rather than accepting feel-good unfulfillable promises from self-promoting political hacks at face value. Doing so requires critical thinking, a willingness to leave one’s comfort zone, and a commitment to seeking information from sources beyond mainstream media, which often reinforces existing beliefs to attract views.
Joe Kaffl
Hillborro
Dear Editor,
Here in Pocahontas County, I know several individuals who worked hard for decades but now are having a hard time taking care of their home and their health. This is a common problem all across the country. As great as America is, we can do better. We can look around the world to see how other countries are taking care of their vulnerable elderly.
There are several examples, including Finland, Spain and Denmark, where the elderly are better cared for. Those countries also score better on other measures of human well-being such as Infant Mortality, Homelessness and Life Expectancy. Can we not learn something from them?
These countries are not socialist (reference last week’s entertaining but misleading letter fearing social democracy). They can be described as social democracies which are capitalistic but take seriously the responsibility of government to protect the powerless from the powerful.
Bob Must
Hillsboro
Editor,
I write to comment on two distinct trends that are recurring under the current Administration: corruption and betrayal.
Corruption in government often involves money changing hands in return for a political favor. But, corruption in government can also be actions taken which violate the rule of law by pursuing – or stopping – criminal cases that are otherwise a valid use of prosecutorial power and discretion. The most recent example of the latter type of corruption was revealed – and reported in the Charle-ston Gazette – when a criminal investigation examining thousands of alleged violations of the Clean Water Act by coal companies controlled by the family of Jim Justice, our junior U.S. Senator and recent governor, was killed by the Trump Administration as a favor to a staunch ally and supporter of the president.
The order for prosecutors in the Western District of Virginia to put “pencils down” was given by the Deputy Attorney General’s Office in Washington, then headed by Todd Blanche, the man who now is the president’s nominee to replace Pam Bondi as Attorney General. The Gazette article no-ted that such an action is without precedent and that only about a dozen criminal cases under the Clean Water Act are brought each year. The same man, Todd Blanche, tried to establish a $1.8 billion fund to compensate those who the president deems have been unjustly prosecuted by the federal government, including over 1,500 people who participated in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
Mr. Blanche also wants to retain an agreement he negotiated that would prohibit IRS audits of tax returns of the president and members of his family – forever. Meanwhile, the Justice Department is trying repeatedly to prosecute people such as the former director of the FBI, James Comey, who are regarded as hostile or political enemies of the president.
These issues do not even begin to address the wide range of no-bid contracts awarded to friends of the president or contracts cancelled which were authorized and funded by Congress – or the dismantling of federal agencies such as the Department of Education, USAID, and the Voice of America – without Congressional or other legal authority.
As for betrayal, not only has the Trump administration withdrawn the United States from many international organizations including the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accord, it has created serious doubt about American commitment to NATO – which the U.S. formed after World War II to safeguard Western Europe from encroachment by, then Soviet, and now Russian, invasion. I was recently in the Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia) and Finland. All four countries were part of the Russian Empire before World War I but enjoyed 20 years of independence from 1919 to 1939. Then, they were invaded, first by the Soviets, then by the Germans, then again by the Soviets and, with the exception of Finland, were part of the Soviet Union from 1945 until 1991 when they became independent once more.
All four countries share a border with Russia. All four are members of NATO. All four are increasing spending on the military because they fear that one of them might be Russia’s next target if Russia prevails in the Ukraine war. And, because of the Trump Administration’s suspension of most support for Ukraine and the withholding or withdrawal of U.S. forces and/or equipment from Europe, all four countries have doubts about whether America would come to their aid in the event of Russian invasion or hostilities – as they responded to America’s need in Afghanistan following 9/11. They all fear betrayal by the United States.
Jay Miller
Hillsboro
