The idea that tax cuts for the rich creates jobs has yet to be proven. There isn’t one statistic backing up this claim, and yet it’s the only song the conservatives sing. It’s quite to the contrary.

A recent study conducted by Owen Zidar found that economic growth in states with the biggest number of high-income earners was too insignificant to support the theory that they grew the economy following a tax cut affecting them.

So, if most jobs grow from small businesses and most small business owners are middle-income earners, then wouldn’t cutting taxes for the middle millions losing …

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What does “winning” a debate really mean? Take a look at how each party’s policies affect you. Look at the actions of the last four years.

What did the Republicans fight for? To keep the tax cut of billions for the top 1 percent, corporations and oil companies.

What did the Democrats fight for? Health care, extended unemployment benefits, tax cuts to the middle class, mortgage relief, Wall Street reforms.

It’s our money. We have the power with our vote. We support the direction of our country by how we spend our money.

Do you really want to keep giving …

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Re: “House GOP leaders plan summer tax cut vote” (TNT, 5-26).

The House Republicans plan to vote this summer on extending the Bush tax cuts, due to expire at the end of 2012. By doing so, they are for borrowing more money and increasing the national debt rather than trying to pay for some of the large debt that we have accumulated.

The Bush tax cuts reduced the income from personal income taxes about $200 billion in the first year (2002) after enactment and increased the national debt by this amount each year thereafter.

With all the productivity gains going to the top 1 percent since 1980, the middle class is starved of the money to serve as stimulus for the economy.

Since 1980, all growth stimulus was created by credit card borrowing, borrowing against inflated home prices, decline of savings rates, more two-earner families and deficit spending exacerbated by tax cuts primarily benefiting the well off.

None of these mechanisms are available now to reignite the economy. What is left is revision of the tax structure to more equitably spread the productivity gains to those who actually made them and will spend them.

Republicans have been wrong for America for more than a decade. Starting with Enron, Republican laissez-faire attitudes toward business have resulted in disastrous consequences, culminating in the worst economic conditions since Reagan and a country that could barely wait for them to get out of office.

They learned absolutely nothing from this: They still tout their failed propaganda of less regulation and lower taxes.

For two years they have been fighting attempts to improve our situation and get people back to work. Consequently, we are still struggling because of failed Republican policies.

If you actually ask business what they need …

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We voters have no progressive alternative because corporations own both political parties. So here’s a progressive platform for 2012. Now where’s the candidate?

• Cut military spending in half. Bring home the troops.

• Rid politics of private money and institute public campaign financing.

• Link educational reform to the green economy. Make sustainability the basis of our public school curriculum. Inspire students to develop clean energy technologies and lifestyles of environmental harmony.

• Extend the 7 percent FICA withholding tax to all earned income, funding Medicare for every citizen. This will grow new jobs and businesses because entrepreneurs won’t …

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Re: “John Boehner strong on ideology but weak on reality” (TNT, 5-11).

Boehner still does not get it. He spreads the myth that increased income taxes do not reduce the deficit.

Just 11 years ago, before the George W. Bush years, we had higher income tax rates and the deficit was reduced to only $18 billion in fiscal 2000. (It was called a surplus, but the national debt still increased by $18 billion.)

The Bush tax cuts went into effect a short time later, and income from personal income taxes dropped by $200 billion the next year.

So doesn’t it …

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“Please don’t let him suffer!” (Cartoonists’ sketchpad, 4-16) is the caption on a cartoon that depicts a rich man threatened with the end of Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.

Members of Congress assure us that the richest of the rich must have tax relief so that they will invest, innovate and create jobs. If the very rich had truly invested in recent years, we would not be in economic straits today.

Their idea of investing was outsourcing labor overseas and eliminating jobs for Americans. Their idea of innovation was the hedge fund.

If we continue to award these tax …

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