newsnews

Letter to the editor: Column about relationships really was a joke, right?

By Letters to the editor
Published: November 23, 2009

Column about relationships really was a joke, right?

I thank Tom Tippett for his hilarious parody of the abstinence only position. My whole family got a tremendous kick out of the outrageously antiquated ideas and sentences. For example: “The person who initiates the process of establishing this relationship is the man.”

I also delighted in how he implied that only the man enjoys the physical aspect of the relationship.

The only concern I had was that there might be people in the community without a sense of humor or experience with life (on planet Earth) that might take his column seriously.

Mr. Tippett should have added a JK (that is, just kidding) at the end of the article.

Francis Robicheaux
Auburn

State Republicans should support progressive taxation

It has been in the news recently that low-income Alabamians have a heavier income tax burden than low-income people in any other state. To quote two statistics from the online article “Study: Alabama Income Tax on Working Poor Harshest” by Phillip Rawls:

“Based on 2008 figures, the new report said a family of three earning at the federal poverty level of $17,165 will pay $333 in Alabama, which is the highest tax rate in the country.”

“The study said an Alabama family of four earning at the federal poverty line of $22,017 will pay $483, which is also the highest tax rate in the country.”

When I became aware of these figures, my first thought was that the system in Alabama is feudal. The working poor in Alabama are treated like a lower caste of humanity. They are burdened once by being poor (often through no fault of their own!), and then burdened a second time by being unfairly taxed.

According to Rawls’ article, Rep. John Knight of Montgomery hopes to re-introduce legislation to ease the burdens of Alabama’s working poor.

Meanwhile, Alabama Republicans are claiming to be on the ethical high ground. Let them “walk the walk” by supporting progressive taxation.

Rawls’ article is at: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h_Uz1rR9fTnDuU_cCEvupbJS1DoAD9BOTOO05

Thomas Manig
Auburn