Article published May 21, 2005
Bankruptcy? Socialism is no answer
According to The Blade’s Saturday Essay writer Gary Blaine regarding bankruptcy law reform, the new law won’t help, because the only way to reduce personal bankruptcy according to him is to create a socialist state, with “universal health care,” a “full employment policy,” and an “equitable federal tax system.”
In other words, the only way to solve our ills is through the imposition of the kind of massive socialist government that hasn’t been seen since the glory days of Joe Stalin.
I wonder if Mr. Blaine has ever visited that socialist utopia Europe, where many of his ideas have been implemented, and where the unemployment rate is far higher than ours and where economic growth is much lower. I also wonder how many bankruptcy filers Mr. Blaine has spoken to. I’m guessing it isn’t many.
I’m guessing Mr. Blaine has never owned a business, either, since he thinks higher taxes are such a wonderful concept.
As a bankruptcy attorney who has filed hundreds of cases, I can assure Mr. Blaine that bankruptcy is not caused by rampant capitalism. Mostly, it is caused by divorce, medical issues, and unemployment.
The latter two problems could be ameliorated with lower taxes, not higher, and perhaps tort reform. As for divorce, I would like to know what government program Mr. Blaine is suggesting that will lead to its reduction. A “full marriage” policy, perhaps?
Like a lot of bankruptcy professionals, I am not a very big fan of the new bankruptcy law. To suggest, however, that the answer to debt problems lies in the tired old ideas of socialism is an affront to the facts, history, and simple logic. But then, I suspect that those tired old ideas are Mr. Blaine’s answer to just about everything.
Stephen T. Priestap
North Michigan StreetSaturday essayist showed great insight
I was surprised and pleased to read the May 14 Saturday Essay by the Rev. Gary Blaine. How fortunate you were to have him write this piece for you. This is a man I definitely would enjoy reading more often. I would hope you would fax a copy of this piece to every member of the Ohio and Michigan delegations to Congress along with our state legislature. This man truly thinks in the context of “a good shepherd protects his flock.”
It’s unfortunate that conservative religious leaders who are attempting to set a political agenda for America don’t have the insight Mr. Blaine has displayed in this essay. Being Catholic, I can only think of Pope John XXIII after reading this essay.
John Turkal
Bowling GreenBush should leave Social Security alone
I have only one answer to President Bush sticking his nose into everyone’s Social Security:
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
MARGARET CRAFT
Arlington AvenueThe price of admission
I wonder if we built an American-Arab Museum in the Middle East if people would pay to see it or just blow it up?
John Clark
Perrysburg
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