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November 9, 2009

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Letter: Republicans’ trickle-down theory all wet

Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2002 | 8:44 a.m.

I get a kick out of reading the letters people send in praising the Republicans' trickle-down joke.

They say it works this way: Give the rich tax breaks. With this extra money, they hire more people. The more people working, the better the economy.

When the economy is slow, like now, you don't hire someone to make, ship or build something no one is buying. Why would you? Let's face it, you don't get rich by being a generous person. You get there by being greedy. Why pay someone a good wage when you could pay them a minimum wage? Why settle for a $3 million bonus when you could have $5 million.

A family man making minimum wage is not buying a new car, a house or even new clothes for his kids. More likely, he's wondering how to pay his electric bill.

If tax breaks create jobs, one would think places like the Red Cross, which is tax exempt, would have lots of job openings. Record donations mean a record administration budget, right? I think record bonuses would be a little closer to the truth.

SHANE FARRELL

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