Tax cuts are no panacea for the American economy

In his Tuesday column in the Review-Journal, Lawrence Kudlow cites Arthur Laffer as saying, “Tax something more, get less of it. Tax something less, get more of it.”

In truth, the tax rate maximizing revenues for models employing the Laffer Theory so popular with the anti-tax crowd varies between just more than 30 percent to as high as 70 percent. This difference is far too wide to conclude that the current taxes ought to be reduced. Better to consider the real world, both from the past and recent.

Those wishing to reduce taxes often look to the Reagan years as proof that taxes ought to be lowered. But using this time frame as evidence for reducing taxes is highly suspect.

In the years preceding Ronald Reagan, the debt-to-GDP ratio change from the start of a presidential term to the end of the term gradually decreased from 46.9 percent (1961-1965, Kennedy/Johnson) to 32.5 percent (1977-1981, Carter). Over Jimmy Carter’s term, the national debt increased by $288 billion. In Mr. Reagan’s first term (1981-1985) the debt-to-GDP ratio increased to 43.8 percent and the national debt increased by $823 billion.

During Mr. Reagan’s second term (1985-1989) we again see the failure of a tax reduction to increase revenue. The debt-to-GDP ratio increased to 53.1 percent and the national debt increased by $1,050 billion. If revenues were increased, they were more than offset by the nearly $2 billion increase in the national debt.

Is not the purpose of increasing revenues to reduce debt? For a recent example of how tax reduction can negatively affect an economy, one need look no further than what has happened to Kansas since 2012 under Gov. Sam Brownback’s tax reduction program.

John Burke

Henderson

Drone dangers

Recent incidents of drones interfering with firefighting operations are very concerning (“Firefighters making progress on two large wildfires in northwest Nevada,” Aug. 3 Review-Journal). Existing regulations prohibit anything — manned or unmanned — from flying in restricted airspace. Unfortunately, many consumers may not be aware of these policies, putting firefighting aircraft and personnel at risk.

To avoid such incidents, drone operators should check the FAA’s Temporary Flight Restrictions before taking to the skies. Anyone with a smart phone can easily access this information through the FAA’s B4UFLY app.

The app uses GPS and geographical data to show drone users where they cannot fly, as well as alerting them to any airports nearby.

Safety is paramount and education is the key to safe and responsible flying. Flying safely — and always avoiding wildfires — will help protect our communities and our skies.

Dave Mathewson

Muncie, Ind.

The writer is executive director of the Academy of Model Aeronautics.

Voter fraud

In his Monday letter, Randall Buie accused the Republican Party of “rigging” elections by creating “restrictive voting laws … specifically to make voting more difficult for minorities and the poor.” That is a flagrant falsehood spread by the Democratic Party, which relies on the ignorance of its followers to further perpetuate this misinformation.

Mr. Buie is correct when he says Republicans have pursued “voter ID requirements.” But this is not to make it more difficult for minorities and the poor. What Mr. Buie forgets — and what Democrats prefer to hide — is that the U.S. Constitution specifies that only American citizens are allowed to vote. Today, however, thousands upon thousands of non-citizens are being registered to vote throughout this country, including Nevada. This is being pushed by the Democratic Party, not the GOP.

These non-citizens are from the Middle East, Asia, South American, Mexico and other places and they are being registered as Democrats. I have personally witnessed this. That, Mr. Buie, is your “rigged” election.

How do you prevent this? Require voters to have a picture ID attesting to their citizenship. But Democrats falsely claim this is a burden on minorities and the poor.

IDs to meet this requirement are readily available. Aren’t IDs required to buy alcohol, use a credit card, get an airline ticket, cash a check, get a loan, etc.?

Wayne Colla

Boulder City