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Pen Points
Letters to Gay Today |
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The Scoop on George W's Gaseous Poop
However, who would really benefit. For starters, remember that the 4.3 cents is dedicated revenue, used for maintaining and improving the nation's highways. Ending it would stop those highway improvements. Who would really benefit from that? At this present time, there is just not enough gasoline to supply demand. Eliminating the tax would certainly not increase supply, so the suppliers would just increase their prices to make up the difference. (As textbooks will tell you, reducing the tax rate on an inelastically supplied good benefits the sellers, not the buyers.) Drivers would hardly notice the 4.3 cent difference anyway. But, of course, W. has long been a friend of the oil industry. Henry Messer PS. For more information on this topic, see Paul Krugman, The New York Times, March 15, 2000, page A29. Dr. Laura's Gay Front Man
I am a gay man who has listened to Dr Laura for years. I appreciate many
things about her and her views. I do not agree with her on her views about
homosexuality, but in all the years I have listened to her, I have NEVER
heard one word of "Hate". She has always expressed her views about gays
courteously and explained that they come from her religious and personal
convictions. She has never advocated acts of violence or hatred be directed
toward gays. The only people that I have observed in this whole uproar who
seem to be FILLED with hatred are those who have decided to target her and
those she does business with. As I said, I don't agree with her, but these
tactics that GLAAD and others want to use are not justified against her.
The folks at "StopDrLaura.com" have placed probably the worst examples of extreme hatred and bigoted email responses from those of her listeners who have chosen to respond on your website as "Examples" of the kind of people who listen to her show. I wonder what percentage of the messages they have gotten exhibit such raw hatred. I would venture to guess that the percentage is no more than the percentage of bigoted idiots in the general public.
Dr Laura may dislike homosexuality, she may, erroneously, believe we are a threat to society, but she has the right. Lets not try to prove her right by engaging in what I consider to be political blackmail and economic terrorism. These radical approaches only bolster political opinion against our cause and make the average straight guy think we are a bunch of wacko's. I for one am not.
Respectfully,
Joni's Nice but Why Barbra?
There is, however, a question that keeps popping up and have been meaning to ask you but never remember to: I never understood why Barbra Streisand's work so popular among gays if she is (at least apparently) straight. (BTW, I only learned about that when I saw In and Out, and later confirmed when Barbra finally announced her retirement from singing from a local Would it be a "Sunset Boulevard" thing? Have a nice weekend Ernest |
"W" Bush has advocated a reduction in gas taxes to offset the increase is
price. The repeal of the 4.3 cent tax seems like a very good political move.
I enjoyed your review on Joni Mitchell's work. Too bad
most of her work doesn't reach Brazil and we only get
excerpts unless we are willing to pay a lot of cash
on imports.
© 1997-2000 BEI