EDITORIAL Getting the biggest bang for your buck As (ho bolls, whistles and noisomakers rang in the new year, a new deficit reduction plan made its appear ance. The Clinton administration's attempt to cut the soar ing deficit by raising taxes on the upper class is one major part of it Are we really getting the most for our dollars by increasing taxes, and are taxpayers getting the biggest bang out of their buck by handing over more money to Uncle Sam rather than investing money directly in the economy around them? Take the one-dollar bill for example, the one buried deep in your front pocket that is a direct benefit from a good hard day's work. Now, go to the store and spend your dollar bill knowing that you had to work for it, it is pretty certain that you will make that dollar stretch as far as possible and get the most for your money know ing that you worked for it. Take that same dollar bill, but instead of spending it yourself, give it to your closest friend, who knows how hard you work for your money. Chances are that the dol lar bill will bo spent quite wisely, but still not os care fully as if you were spending it yourself. Finally, take that dollar bill and instead of spending it yourself — or giving it to someone you know and com pletely trust —- send it across the country to be com bined with everyone's dollar bills — tax dollar bills, that is. Piles and piles of dollar bills. The people spending them have no real idea where they came from, or some times even where they are going. Now ask yourself, is that likely to got the biggest bang for your buck? The original idea was to reduce the deficit by an esti mated $490 billion during the next five years. Of this 90 percent of the new taxes will be paid by people w ith an annual income of more than SI 00.000. These peo ple will obviously have less money to spend and invest ut local economies simply because more money will be spent on taxes Another component of the new tax bill is a reduction in the amount of money that can be deduc ted from an individual's total tax burden to pay for business meals and entertainment. The reduction drops it from HO per cent to 50 percent. The National Restaurant Association estimates that there could be a S3.7 billion loss suffered in the restau rant trade, with some 105,000 catering jobs being placed in jeopardy. This reduction was such a good idea that thore have so far been no less than five bills introduced in Congress seeking to restore the deductions to 80 percent, and some bills even want to increase it to 100 percent. A tax reduction for the lower and middle classes will only bo helpful if members of those classes actually have a job. The deficit must bo reduced, but it must he reduced in a way that gets the most out of the money being spent. Historically, increasing taxes hasn't worked. With each dollar becoming harder and harder to earn, it seems we should be Increasingly interested in getting the most out of each one. Oregon Daily PO BOX JIM. EUGENE OK*GO* 9?«0J The Or«\h>» D&y l*a put*-shad daii> Monday through i -.do* dunng tty* schoc* yt*a» and Tuesday and Thursday during the lummo' by the Oregon Da > Emerald Pyt*®h«ng Co, me at the University o< Oe^o". Eugene. Oregon The t ma Saiocoa. Scott Simonson. Stephan* Ssson. Susanna Stearns. Jui*e Swenaeri M*chete Thompson Aguiar. Kevin Tripp, Amy Van Tuyi. Damr Dutta. N»coie Her/mar*. Teresa isabe:**. Jeff Manon. Jeremy Mason. Michael Mi's eft v *a V O'IVy a■ n. Rachaei TruH Keisey We*e< Ang* Wmjhcm Classified Becky M«- ha< ’ MLi uye V article in the Emer ald c learly puts my feelings about bisexuality in a confusing and ignorant light A misquote in the article quoted me ns say ing that bisexuals t annot choose between sexual preferences What the article was sup posed to convey was that bisex uals have their own identities and should not have to fool that they need to choose. Sadly, though, most people do not understand that I wish this had been conveyed correctly Mv character and contribu tion to the community speaks for itself, and those who know mo realize that I do not believe in ''bashing” anyone 1 make the offer to anyone who has been c onfused or insulted by this orti ele to contact me and get to know the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Alliance. Om e again, 1 apologize for tin* stress caused by this article. Rachel M. Dueker Co-Director LGBA “IM4GOD" An article carried by the Asso ciatud Press Dec. fi describes a i ase hi which a motorist sought to compel tiu* Utah motor vehi cles division to issue personal ized license plates, listing THANX(.Ol) us tier first i hoii e and "1M4GOD" as sm ond. Her request was denied July 13 in a letter indicating that tin plates might violate state law burring messages which "carry connotations offensive to good taste and decency” as claimed in the suit. A reasonable argument t ail tie made that plates bearing any "controversial message" be denied We can imagine other drivers responding to those plates with a "thumbs up,” "thumbs down" or any of the many other possible digital per mutations. distracting people from the serious attention nec essary for responsible driving. The real intention of the plaintiff is to present her private religious beliefs publicly. Little did I realize that I, us a free thinking atheist, would soon find myself supporting a theist's effort to promote religion pub licly The plaintiff's effort — compared to religiously orga nized efforts to impose religious speech on public si hool cam puses while organizing efforts to suppress opposing atheist views — is an individual private expression The plaintiffs view will elicit responses — pro or con — with which she will have to cope. However ludicrous the ideas she advocates — 1 refer readers to The Bible Handbook for Free thinkers and Inquiring Chris turns edited by G W. Foote and W.P. Ball — it is nevertheless important for free speech that she have that right — provided it is determined the request pos es no public: danger. Bert P. Tryba Boulder, Colo. Grass for God In mv previous letters I have mentioned a new system wait ing in the wings to replace our ill-conceived and doomed capi talist system. There's good news and had news concerning its promise, for it s an elective sys tem for those who want peace and females only voting by their dress, which will he a black tent, and is the had news for all worshipers of the flesh. But bad is really good in the sense that crime w ill end with zero-tolerance for unrighteous ness in heaven on the basis that either one deserves to live or not There won't be judges or jails tiecause a person can't have one foot in hell and the other in heaven, for sinners must need to lie put to sleep for reassignment to a lower life form for the years that satisfy their victims The good news is that mari juana use is approved for heav en. There are several reasons lor this, one being that we need to return to rural lile. away from the cesspools But until we re relocated, the following rules will apply when a community acc epts heaven restrictions on smoking hand-rolled pot and tobacco are forbidden, save when there's danger from fire or explosion But good is really bad because one has to grow their own grass after a one-year grace period of using pot grown by others, to see if it's right for you to switch from booze You, may also want to grow vour own food or bicy cle to community farms when you switch to real food to regain your health Youth seven to 14 can only eat pot, not smoke it John-Wayne Johnson San Diego, Calif. LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor must he limited to no more than 250 words, legible, signed and the identification of the writer must he verified when the letter is submitted. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length or style