Tax the wealthy to reduce the national debt
I enjoyed reading Greg Ganske’s guest essay about the federal debt. Our debt is $39 trillion and growing daily. The interest on the debt is now $1 trillion per year. The leading cause of the federal debt comes from the Reagan, Bush, Bush, Trump and Trump tax cuts.
The best way to pay off the federal debt would be to increase tax rates on the wealthy. They got all the gravy. They should now pay toward the debt.
Keith Nichols, Perry
Ian Roberts’ prison sentence delivered justice
The recent federal sentencing of the former Des Moines schools superintendent Ian Roberts has generated considerable social media comments about whether the two-year sentence imposed by Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger was “appropriate.”
The vast majority of social media posts opine it was too low. I appreciate that each person opining has read and studied the federal sentencing guidelines, applicable federal statues, the lengthy sentencing memoranda filed by Roberts and the government and somehow got access to the carefully prepared confidential pre-sentence report by the U.S. Probation Office that only the lawyers, Roberts and the judge had access to. It’s easy to have an opinion, but unless you have read all the plethora of information Goodgame Ebinger had access to, it’s an uninformed opinion. Judge Goodgame Ebinger is a Yale law grad, a former assistant U.S. attorney, a former Iowa state court judge and a very experienced federal district judge who was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate over a decade ago.
Federal sentencing requires the judge to correctly determine the guidelines (which she did, and the parties did not dispute) and then balance the numerous aggravating and mitigating factors present in virtually every federal sentencing. Having done that thousands of times myself, I assure you it is an exceptionally daunting task. If either side is dissatisfied with the sentence, they have an absolute right to appeal. Iowa is blessed with five active federal judges, four of whom are former federal prosecutors. None are soft on crime. They are highly qualified, exceptionally hard-working, and exceptionally fair-minded public servants. We can disagree with any of their rulings, but we owe then a huge debt of gratitude for their service.
Mark Bennett, Des Moines
Judge should be grateful for support after conviction
It is unfortunate that District Judge Adria Kester chose to drive while intoxicated, putting herself and others on the road at risk of injury or death. I have empathy for the emotional toll this will take on her as someone in a position of public trust. I also believe that any information released about her charges should comply with the law and that she should be treated no differently than any other citizen facing similar charges. Drunken driving is a serious offense.
While the emotional consequences for Kester may be greater, other appropriate consequences for drunken driving may impact her life less severely. Some people immediately lose their jobs and have no “rainy day” funds or other ways to support their families. Others lose access to transportation, making daily life far more difficult. Some do not have the resources for treatment or counseling.
As Kester faces the emotional consequences of her decision to drive drunk, I hope she also reflects on, and has gratitude for, the resources and support available to her that many others charged with and convicted of drunken driving do not have.
Cynthia Erickson, Des Moines
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ian Roberts’ prison sentence delivered justice | Letters
Reporting by The Register’s readers, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By The Register's readers, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
