Re: “Tacoma not alone in debt” (Bill Virgin column, 5-6).

Virgin is on-target with his column regarding taxes, debt and spending at all levels of government. Spending money they don’t have, on stuff they can’t afford, limits the ability to afford what is really needed and necessary.

An additional factor not mentioned is the impact on that part of the population that pays for the excessive spending and subsequent debt.

If you are working or retired and paying taxes, you are part of a decreasing percentage of the population paying more taxes. Your tax burden at any level of government …

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Re: “New liquor sellers fear fees threaten viability” (TNT, 5-4).

The article highlighting alcohol retailers’ concerns about steep tax hikes under the state’s new liquor system referenced a particularly insightful comment by Liquor Control Board Chairwoman Sharon Foster: “A legislative fix is your only fix.”

No one can know for certain what alcohol prices will be until Initiative 1183 goes into effect June 1. One thing, however, is for certain. Washington state had the highest alcohol taxes in the nation prior to privatization, and now even more taxes and fees are being added with the new system. It will …

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Re: “Tacomans support tax for roads, survey shows” (TNT, 5-2).

In the last 10 years, the City of Tacoma and the Chamber of Commerce have invested much time and money into building the city into a place that will attract tourists as well as new residents. Condominiums, first-class restaurants, hotels and world-class museums saturate the downtown area, bringing millions of dollars of revenue to merchants.

What a surprise it must be for tourists and new city dwellers to come across the moon-like surfaces that we call streets. It is disrespectful to tourists, citizens and most importantly the city herself …

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Re: “Tacomans support tax for roads, survey shows” (TNT, 5-2).

Are they kidding? They sure didn’t ask me or anyone I’ve talked to.

We have already given the city millions for road repair, and what have we gotten? The roads in many cases are crumbling beyond repair to the point where anything short of complete replacement is farcical.

We’ve seen city workers paint circles around potholes only to see them improperly filled, so that at the end of the day the pothole is back and we are faced with paint that lasts longer than the repair, which is usually …

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President Obama and the Democratic Party have been working very hard on selling the Buffett Rule. They go from rally to rally trying to get people to support it. It has become their best idea. They even had the U.S. Senate vote on it this week.

Essentially the law would double dividend taxes on people earning over $1 million per year. All of this chatter is done in the name of fairness.

Let me get this straight. Our government currently runs a deficit of $1 trillion per year. At best, this silly scheme will only raise about $4 billion per …

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Are you sick of the high gas prices and want to blame someone? You have been falsely told that it is President Obama’s fault.

Here is something to think about. The American Petroleum Institute, Exxon, and others are running 30-second ads on numerous TV stations telling how wonderful they are and how wonderful “fracking” will be for America. Last time I checked, prime-time TV ads were very, very expensive.

And now for the real crusher: You and I are paying for these ads with not only high gas prices but with the Republican oil subsidy. I say Republican because they …

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Re: “Roll-your-own smokes tax has retailers fuming” (TNT, 4-2).

Once again, under the guise of saving us from ourselves and caring about our health, the state government has found a way to take more of our money. More taxes. House Bill 2565 would increase taxes on roll-your-own cigarettes. Prices would go from $34.50 to $67.60 a carton, a nice increase.

Our politicians have never seen a tax they didn’t like. We have a case of Big Tobacco along with Big Government attempting to squash the so called competition by taking big money from low-income smokers. What a bunch of …

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Re: “‘System’ pales in comparison” (letter, 4-4).

I too have lived in Norway. However, the laudable health care system in Norway comes at a price: taxes, and lots of them.

According to Wikipedia.com, in 2009 the total tax revenue was 41 percent of Norway’s GDP. The tax level in Norway has fluctuated between 40 and 45 percent of GDP since the 1970s. Individuals are taxed up to 47.8 percent, payrolls are taxed up to 14.1percent and the value-added tax is at 25 percent for most purchases.

As a large welfare state, most tax revenue in Norway is spent on …

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