Steve Forbes

Re George Will’s silly defense of Steve Forbes’ advertising glut in Iowa and New Hampshire, Column Right, Jan. 14:

Every time one of Will’s much-condemned “liberals” dares to mention that the last time we were all led down the rosy path of supply-side silliness it did not work the way we were told it would, knee-jerk right-wingers like him always either ignore the truth about President Reagan’s deficit or blame it on the old Democratic Congress. If government revenues were going to explode with Reagan’s tax cut, what happened to the money?

The big lie about out-of-control government goes on. The federal government does appear distant and seemingly out of control, and downsizing is necessary in this shrinking world. But the republic, at least nominally, still belongs to the people. All the people, not just rich business tycoons. Medicare matters to a lot of citizens--middle-class citizens. So do the environment and the welfare of children.

The stupidity at the core of Will’s analogy is that the election of a president in a democracy is essentially the same as choosing a brand of beer. Presidents are not products. It’s wonderful that Forbes is an “accomplished capitalist.” The initial caucuses and primaries should not be about how much money he can spend. Rather, they should be about whether or not Forbes is a worthy leader and his ideas are any good. He isn’t. They aren’t.

JOHN SMART

Los Angeles

*

* Regarding GOP presidential candidate Forbes’ proposed flat-tax plan: The only thing wrong with the current tax system is the unwillingness of the rich, like Forbes, to pay their fair share of taxes.

DORIS K. REED