Trust and taxes

I usually enjoy reading the Your Views of my neighbors and the opinions of your guests. Sometimes I agree and sometimes I don't. Take for example Ralph Martire's Feb. 12 piece on the "State's budget problems ..." He openly advocates for a tax increase and argues that the defeat of the Fair Tax last November was wrong and that the flat tax can't generate enough revenue because it is a "structural deficit" and is a "flawed tax policy."

If I could, I would tell Mr. Martire that the Fair Tax was not defeated because we don't want to eliminate the flawed tax policy. It was because we don't trust Springfield.

In my opinion, the way to go is to set a plan to control the spending, implement ethics reform, and then look at taxes. I've heard the arguments that you can't cut your way out of a deficit, but I know you can't tax your way out either. You just have to start with trust.

Joe Celosky

Hoffman Estates