BCT Editorial – 11/7/05

This page was last updated on November 7, 2005.

Salutes & Boots; Editorial; Beaver County Times; November 7, 2005.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Salute: To Boscov’s at the Beaver Valley Mall for coming up with a wonderful program that allows children with diabetes to enjoy Halloween. Under the program, diabetic children ages 14 and younger were allowed to exchange their bag of candy for a gift card to choose a game or toy. Boscov’s has always involved itself in the community, and this program is another example of that. Appreciate what you have, folks. Good corporate neighbors like Boscov’s are becoming rarer and rarer.”

[RWC] What started out nice ended tacky. How does the author come to the conclusion “good” businesses “are becoming rarer and rarer?” As a good liberal, the author had to give a “left-handed” compliment. For some folks, partisanship is a lifestyle.

“Boot: To the state Senate for voting to reduce the state’s income tax from 3.07 percent to 2.98 percent by January 2008. The measure was approved 31-19. This is pure political silliness. A family with a yearly income of $50,000 would see its taxes drop by a whopping $45 a year. That breaks down to $3.75 a month, 86.5 cents a week or 12 cents a day. Don’t be fooled. The real purpose of this move is twofold: To allow Republicans to brag about cutting your income taxes in next year’s general election and to clobber Gov. Ed Rendell if he vetoes it.”

[RWC] I have a problem with the cut as well, only I believe it’s too small. Don’t let the editorial fool you. Regardless of the amount of the cut, the Times would oppose it.

“Salute: To the state Senate for voting to reduce the corporate net income tax rate from 9.99 percent to 9.59 percent beginning in January 2007. This is a measure that is needed. The CNI tax is one of the highest in the country, and it is an impediment to growth and development. If any tax needs to be cut as often as possible, this is the one.”

[RWC] Leave it to the Times to think a 0.4% decrease in a ridiculously high tax is significant. Don’t get me wrong; I agree the CNI needs cutting. That said, when you add up all the other business taxes, this reduction is a drop in the bucket.

“Boot: To members of Congress who are contemplating cuts in Medicaid, food stamps and other programs that aid the poor while keeping intact their pork-barrel projects. If cuts do have to be made in these social services, they should come only after Congress has carved away the fat. To allow pork-barrel projects to go untouched while programs for the poor get chopped is unconscionable.”

[RWC] I guess the author doesn’t know his chosen programs also are “pork.”

“Salute: To a proposal to rename the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative Performing Arts for the late August Wilson, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning playwright, who died last month. It’s a great idea. Wilson’s accomplishments merit the honor.”

[RWC] I never heard of Mr. Wilson until he died. I guess this shows my cultural ignorance.