Letters: Paul Ryan’s poor budget choices

Re “Rep. Ryan calls for cuts in anti-poverty programs,” March 4

So Rep. Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) proposes to reduce college Pell grants and child-care and welfare assistance programs. Odd that I didn’t see any proposal to tax at ordinary income rates the so-called carried-interest income of hedge fund managers, whose tax-favored earnings frequently run into seven and eight figures.

If Ryan’s “use your oars to push everyone else away from the life raft” mentality is the economic plan of the GOP, despite the downward economic pressure the middle and lower middle classes have experienced over the last 30 years, I can only hope that the foundering middle class will vote against those who are causing it.

And if Republicans think they’ll somehow get even with the “takers” by this approach, they might want to remember that eight of the 10 states with the highest percentage of people who paid no federal income taxes in 2010 were red states in 2012.

Gordon Louttit

Manhattan Beach

Ryan’s proposal to cut anti-poverty programs is resonant of Ebenezer Scrooge’s response when asked to give to the poor: “Are there no prisons?”

Ryan once asked his staff to read the novels of Ayn Rand, a preoccupation in our teenage years. She championed the self over everyone else and scorned those who were not able to secure a piece of the pie.

But most of us quickly came to understand that “every man for himself” was no longer the right note.

The voices of humanity and empathy must prevail over the outspokenness of a Ryan or the whisperings of a Mitt Romney (on the 47%) about the shortcomings of the poor or disenfranchised.

Kathleen O’Leary Lefferman

Los Angeles

Ryan and others in Congress could drastically reduce anti-poverty program costs by passing bills that would bring back manufacturing jobs and unions. If able-bodied people were certain of a secure, living-wage job, there would be far less need for anti-poverty programs.

We need massive infrastructure programs today. Free education programs such as the old GI Bill would also help.

Larry Severson

Fountain Valley

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