GOP leaders still beholden to superrich

Don Ellis, Henderson

Saturday, March 5, 2011 | 2:04 a.m.

Republican leaders believe their November election wins have given them enough control to dictate ways to make the middle class pay for their past economic blunders. We also have some weak liberal leaders who best open their eyes.

Over the past 10 years the average worker’s pay has dropped and the wealthy’s pay has escalated. This is not stopping the GOP leaders’ fight to further reduce the pay of teachers, nurses, firefighters, cops, etc. Is it possible that our working class is so wrapped up in cell phones and electronic gadgets that it cannot see what the hell is going on?

The GOP rallying cry is to cut the deficit — but only if the cuts come out of the pockets of the middle class.

The large oil corporations that make billions in profits each year and raise gas prices at their whim appear to have a firm hold on the GOP. We are nearing $4 a gallon for gas and the Republicans in the House voted unanimously against a Democratic measure to stop our tax dollars from subsidizing these oil companies. This could have been a deficit reduction of about $40 billion over the next 10 years.

A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that 81 percent of those surveyed approve of putting a surtax on federal income taxes for people making more than $1 million a year and that 68 percent believe that the Bush tax cuts for families earning $250,000 or more should be abandoned — but the Republicans will never let their bosses down.

I think we need some elected officials recalled.