Letters to the Editor: April 14, 2021 – TCPalm

Treasure Coast Newspapers Published 4:00 a.m. ET April 14, 2021

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Thank you, Laurence Reisman, for yourApril 11column, "Businesses lose liberty by order of DeSantis. Reisman was addressing the bizarre order of Gov. Ron DeSantis forbidding Florida businesses from requiring proof of vaccinations for COVID-19.

Why does DeSantis think that he has the right to tell Florida businesses that they are not allowed to have policies to protect their customers and employees? In my opinion, he shouldn't have that right.

At the same time, Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line is trying to resume business. In order to do that, they are requiring passengers and crew to show proof of being vaccinated weeks before cruising. Why? The cruise industry remembers ships, passengers, and crew stuck at sea for months because no country would allow them to dock due to active COVID-19 cases aboard the ship.

Ironically, at the same time, DeSantis is suing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to lift its no-sail order for cruise lines before Nov. 1. How does he expect that to work if he does everything in his power to prevent cruise lines from operating safely and in a way to ensure that they can dock in other countries?

The Republican Party appeals to those of us who believe in less governmental intrusion. Perhaps DeSantis should reconsider his dictatorial banana-republic style of governing.

Jim Weix, Palm City

Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an order Friday, April 2, 2021 prohibiting Florida businesses from requiring customers show proof that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel/TNS)(Photo: Amy Beth Bennett, TNS)

The United States lowered its corporate income tax rate to 21%from 35%in 2017. We needed to stop our corporations from moving abroad where taxes were lower. Also, state corporate income taxes range from 2.5%to 11.5%. Assuming an average 5%state tax, that's 26%for the U.S.versus 19%for the U.K., 12.5%for Ireland, 25%for China, 21.4%for Sweden, etc.

Dropping corporate tax rates made us competitive, but not the most competitive. If we were to raise our rate to Biden's target of 28%, we'd be out of the competition rate-wise, particularly when one includes our state taxes.

Governmental stability is also crucial. When making decisions on investments, CEOs can't gamble on uncertainties that endanger their profitability. Frequent changes in tax rates create instability.

Why should we be concerned with competitiveness? Because it attracts capital, which brings economic growth, jobs, new technology and higher wages. This is elementary economics.

The big payoff comes in the form of higher revenues. As a country lowers taxes, the economic pie grows, and the lower tax on the larger pie yields more than higher taxes on a contracting pie. The tax rate cut of 2017 brought economic growth. Corporate tax revenues soared in fiscal year 2019. The same thing happened with JFK's tax cut in the early 1960s. Higher tax rates don't work. They create a vicious cycle higher taxes, more spending, lower growth, more taxes.

Biden's proposal also taxes foreign earnings, which we tried before; companies were reluctant to bring profits home where they would be taxed a second time. This locked up trillions abroad before 2017.

Bottom line: Our corporate tax rates are barely competitive now. Please, Mr, President, don't raise them.

Tom Miller, Vero Beach

Receiving my copy of the April 10newspaper, I scanned the first section looking for an article regarding the death the previous day of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Instead of front page coverage of the release of. rehabilitated pelicans, I would have thought the death of the husband of Queen Elizabeth would have deserved more than a Page 9 write-up.

Prince Philip was an exemplary man, married for 73 years (quite a milestone in today's society, where divorce is so prevalent ), carried out his responsibly to the country, loved by the people of England. Yes, he was not an American! But I think in today's society, and the world in turmoil, he deserved a better place in the newspaper than a Page 9 review of his death.

Joyce Dance, Port St. Lucie

Thompson(Photo: Thompson)

Do we have freedom of speech and expression?

I have been thinking about this question for the last few months and I am coming to the conclusion that freedom of speech and expression is being curtailed not by the governments, federal or state, but by those entities that for profit use the free internet and airways to curtail the freedom of speech and expression that has been so precious since the 1700s. I am talking about the likes of Facebook, YouTube, and others.

For centuries, our citizens, and others, have been able to say the most outrageous statements with impunity because of freedom of speech. They have been allowed to call police officers pigs and even worse. This of course left it up to the reader, viewer or listener to make his or her decision as to the truth or falsehood of the statement.

Slowly but surely this has eroded away in the last couple of years. Remember the warning of our Founding Fathers that one may not always be in the majority and at some point can find your rights disappearing when that happens.

Is it always important that the truth perceived by the majority is always right? If so the we would still think the world is flat, only birds can fly and the earth was made in seven days.

It is incumbent on the federal government and the anti-trust division to open freedom of speech again lest we start burning witches again.

Edward Marasi, Port St. Lucie

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Letters to the Editor: April 14, 2021 - TCPalm