From: Radley Balko [radley@radleybalko.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2003 9:05 AM
To: Gundy, Jeff
Subject: Re: Tax the Poor?
1) Worked at a minimum wage job: Check.

2) Went to college: Check.

3) Tried to scrape together money for books, burgers, etc.: Check.

3) Read Ehrenriech's book: Check.

I suggest you read It's Getting Better All the Time, by Steve Moore and Julian Simon. The book shows with graphs and charts how economic liberty and free markets have made America's "poor" the richest poor in human history.

My point was not to make life more miserable for the poor. It was to war of the dangers that come with an ever-growing entitlement class of people getting their entitlements from an ever-shrinking "investor class."

Today, government spending accounts for 20% of GDP. That's a dangerously high number. Until all Americans feel the bite of paying for government programs, I fear that number will only increase.

At 09:54 AM 4/22/2003 -0400, you wrote:

Dear Mr. Radley,

We found your "Tax the Poor" column interesting, to say the least. As a class of college students who are all poor, we wonder whether you went to college. Did you go through what we are going through right now, trying to scrape together enough money for books, tuition and an occasional McDonalds burger?

We would like to suggest that you read B. Ehrenriech's Nickel and Dimed and spend some time working at a minimum wage job. (Please cut up your credit cards first.)

Best Regards,

The Bluffton College Issues in Modern America Class

P.S.: Our finals are due soon. Any help you could offer would be appreciated.