EDITORIALS OPINIONS, UTTERS TO THE EDITOR
U.S. military discharges
all HIV-positive soldiers
■ OUR OPINION: I ung vm
infected m hased o« leaf
rather than compassion
and logical thinking
"I have cancer, -
"I'm sorry You're Owl **
We recoil farm this sce
nario How mold a cwnpa
ny fire someone who in ill
but is still capable of per
forming his or her responsi
bilities7 It would, in fart, tie
illegal — a violation of the
Americans with Disabilities
Act.
This law does not apply
to the U,S. military, appar
ently.
As pari of a 4205 billion
defense bill approved by the
White House last week.
America's armed forces will
discharge all enlisted men
and women who test posi
tive for HIV, the virus that
causes AIDS
President Clinton has
promised that the soldiers
who .ire relieved of their
duly will continue to
receive full medical and
dental benefits. That’s nice.
Hut it doesn't speak to the
larger issue of why a viable
group of workers is being
sent home to die.
Of course. HIV is different
than many other terminal
disease* unlike cancer. It is
contagious The military
does have a vested interest
in making sure that HIV
pmitive people are not sent
into comoat, where their
blood could spread the virus
to uninfected soldiers How*
ever. HIV I* not contagious
through casual contact, and
the military should assign
infected personnel to non
combat posts
People with HIV can con
tinue to live productive
lives without illness for as
long as IS years. Yet.
bw aim* we know the dis
ea** is incurable, we often
treat HIV-poftHive people m
jf they werojtotng to die
tomorrow. Tout altitude
may speed their demise
Medical mtoarr h contin
ues to affirm that ill people
who lead normal live* have
a better chant* of living
longer. By telling HIV posh
live people they are no
longer capable o( doing their
job*, the military tell* them
they are no longer living
Nett only i* thi* policy bad
for peonle with HIV. it is
not in the best interest of the
armed fort e* or the country.
The AIDS viru* continue* to
spread, in part, because so
many Americans think the
disease does not or will not
affect them.
VVeespel HIV-positive
people from their jobs and
their communities, and the
disease remains invisible.
And the rate of infection
continues to rise
When ihe bill takes effect.
I 0411 men and women will
be discharged from their
military posts Instead.
Infected jenson nel should
bo allowed to keep their fobs
and serve their country until
they are no longer able to
work
Out of thi* pool of dedi
rated personnel. • few ntay
let brave enough to tell their
stories to their peer*. Some
may even be hired to con*
duct seminars about the dis
ease and its prevention
Americans from all walks
of life and in all occupations
are living with this disease.
If we learn from them
instead of (earing them, we
may he able to curb the rise
of HIV infection and extend
some valuable lives in the
process
Imagine a policy that did
that.
Emerald
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The Flat Tax
So simple you can fWe on a postcard !
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ZLiL.
C HAHOt.
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Flat tax steals from lower, middle class
It damn'I take much arm twisting to make
me admit I am a Marxist at heart just think
of it ~ everyone hat enough money, a direct
«ay tn the world around them and complete
tub satisfaction
It aleo doesn't take much lor me to admit that
I think it i* impossible The ideal* of Marxism
always seem to (tumble to the realities of com
ro union, making me glad I live in a capital ton
democracy.
We are surrounded by paradose* like thi*
•very day A plan sound* and look* great lor
everyone on paper, but before the ink baa dried,
the problem* are already sell evident
The Oat la* in many way* remind* me of
Marxism It look* good, but it end* up with the
rich getting richer and the poor besoming only
mote dow ntrodden
What make* the flat tax sound so good to so
many people? A lot of thing* — aome unfortu
nately distorted The first and most obvious is
the complete mess our current tax system is in
With 43? forms to chouse from and a seven mil
lion word federal income la* code, it (an be
move than a Utile intimidating
f-ormet Rep |«tk hump. who > unfwntly lead*
•he Republican comrntsaion calling for tlse flat
tax replacement. Mid. "The present system t*
beyond repair It it impossibly complex, oulra
jpHwitty expensive. overly intrusive, economi
cally destructive arid manifestly unfair “
A* a way to “eomact" this unfairness. individ
ual* would pay one flat tax (depending on the
plan. Phil Oram in* l» percent. Stephen PorW
17 percent, or Kemp * to pen entl
What a great idea Think of that Taxes at a
Heady level of about lit percent, while most
middle income taxpayers current Is (all in the
IS- Of lit percent bracket*
Kven the very wealthiest of Americana would
only have to pay »« percent instead of the 39 6
percent they currently pay.
And. of course, the country would have plen
ty of money, right?
Wrong.
Ik-(ore the (la! tax. the poorest of the poor pay
IS percent in taxes while the richest pay 39 per
tent, but after the flat tax is implemented, the
poor don’t pay at all and the rich pay a mere 21
percent.
.And not only would taxes "plummet," but the
flat tax would end the taxation of interest divi
dend* and capital gam* (profit on sale of it** U
or other Investment*). So just where is all that
money coming from?
Ah. from the nol-so-deep pockets of the lower
and middle da**** A# Bob McIntyre (head ol
the labor-hacked Cftinma (or Tax Justice) ao elo
quently states. "It's a bunch of rich Republican
busniex* types who got together and put out a
wish list that doesn't come close to adding up
it would add hundreds of billions to the budget
cUfidt.'
The extra money comm from the elimination
of traditional deduction* — not only state and
OPINION
local taxi*s and money given to
charity, but. and this is a big
one. mortgage interest pay
ments.
Something smells fishy, and
it's not the catch of the day
Stats are published daily
about how good life would be
with a flat tax. Don't get too
excited, though While flat tax
supporters are the first to point
out (hut many middle class (if
you consider married with no children and
earning over $100,000 yearly middle clasts, that
is) are in the 31-percent tax bracket
Under the current tax system, you are taxed
only on the amount of money you make in a
specific bracket (example for the couple 15 per
cent on the first $.19,000, 28 percent on the next
$55,250 and 31 perc ent on the remaining) mak
mg thetr tax bill add up to about 23 percent of
their income
That is still ft percent above Forbes' suggested
tax rate, which is (ust one reason you will see
him clinging to it so stridently. Not only is 2
percent not an especially large amount to save,
studies show that once a flat tax goes over 20
percent, taxpayer support starts dropping (The
Oregonian, jan. 23).
Oddly enough, these cut® are not being pul
there by the party known for its support of dti
ran* on the lower rungs of the economic ladder,
but by big business and the very wealthy.
In order to comfort voters (who would rightly
think that the tax rate would have to rise and
risel, proponents have also included a stipula
tion to make it difficult for the tax to be raised
(either a three-fifths or a two-thirds vote within
Congress).
So even when the mistake was noticed, it
would be almost impossible to rectify They
argue that this tax would stimulate business
enough to make up for the lost income
While some politicians are blasted for their
“tax and spend" policies, this group holds the
"don't tax and spend anyway" ideology.
If you think this sounds familiar, remember
the theory of tru kle-down economics that
worked great 120 years ago but not so great in
the 1980s Consider the current national debt
and the spending procedures that put it there.
Can we really afford another lesson on outdat
ed Industrialist-era economics? Unfortunately. It
look* tike we are about to get one. and it #
already obvious who's going to poc ket the bill
Kay knnitat heid, a sophomore ma/anng in hk»l
ojiy, is a columnist for the Emerald e-mail
koyk$fyj>l(Histi»nt* uoregon alu