The rich.

Editor,

The right has cleverly framed the states' budgetary crisis in terms of workers' pay and union representation. But the side of the equation that is taboo and utterly absent from all discussions is the ridiculously low tax rate that billionaires pay, assuming they even pay any taxes at all after loopholes, and the gaping loopholes that enable multi-billion-dollar corporations to pay zero taxes.

Any mention of taxing these immensely powerful actors in our economy is immediately framed -- inaccurately -- as increasing taxes on the middle class, which is completely unnecessary and not the point in question.

And as far as workers' compensation is concerned, does no one remember that CEO salaries have increased in the last 30 years from 40 times to 400 times workers' salaries?

Blaming state government short-falls on state workers and state workers' unions reminds me of blaming the collapse of the housing bubble on "irresponsible borrowers." The real culprits are the corporations and the rich. Anyone who doesn't understand that must be living on another planet.

Re: "Much Debate, Mixed Answers on State Workers’ Pay" (2/26/2011)