Blame virus, not our leaders, for lockdowns

Because COVID-19 is so relentless, mayors and governors would be poor leaders if they ignored how deadly it is and did not lock down events and sites where people traditionally gather to stop the spread. Yet many Illinoisans want to demonize Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and others for ordering it.

Granted, lockdowns deal what may be a fatal blow to the survival of many small businesses, and in turn damage our economy generally; but aren’t lives more important? Is spending a jovial time in a bar, risking death, more important than staying healthy and alive, sequestered? Don’t blame our leaders. Blame the virus. Wherever on the planet normal socializing activity has resumed, the virus takes over again and people die in droves.

Ted Z. Manuel, Hyde Park

Once in a lifetime opportunity

While the presidential election is expected to bring out a record number of voters, whoever is elected will be in office only four years. But the first question on our ballots, the Fair Tax, will have a far longer impact.

This election truly presents us with a once in a lifetime opportunity to bring true equity and fairness to Illinois’ highly regressive tax system, which now imposes a much greater burden on the poor and middle class than the wealthy.

Neither the current system, nor the Fair Tax, imposes any limit on the Legislature as to how high or low it may set income tax rates. The Fair Tax simply allows the Legislature to impose higher rates on higher incomes, just like the federal income tax and 30-plus other states. The Legislature has already enacted new tax rates that would kick in if the Fair Tax is adopted. Those rates would actually lower taxes or keep them the same for 97% of Illinois taxpayers.

The opponents argue we should cut spending, but this is no reason to oppose a fairer tax system. If we cut spending and adopted the Fair Tax, more taxpayers could get a tax cut — the best of both worlds. The opponents’ claim that the Fair Tax would allow taxation of retirement income is simply fraudulent. Don’t be fooled by the nonsensical arguments of the opponents. Vote your pocketbook and vote “Yes” to bring tax fairness to our state, on the very first question on our ballot.

Sam Cahnman, Springfield

COVID-19 is the greater threat

President Donald Trump complains repeatedly at his rallies that all that the news media want to talk about is “COVID, COVID, COVID.” On the other hand, all he wants to talk about is socialism, socialism, socialism. The difference is that he is attempting, through repetition and with a slim evidential basis, to persuade us that there is a threat of socialism. The death count is quite enough to persuade me that COVID-19 is the far greater threat.

Curtis Fredrikson, Mokena