Rather than spending money on bailouts, I suggest some of that money be used to pay forensic accountants to examine America's corporations.
The super-rich have been avoiding taxes via dummy corporations in off-shore places such as the Cayman Islands. I've heard some of the financial institutions bailed out by the U.S. government have off-shore accounts.
When Mike Hatch was attorney general of Minnesota, he investigated the wages of a prominent nonprofit health-insurance provider. Executives were getting perks such as golf memberships, dry-cleaning and limos. These were found to be legal as they were included in contracts. I don't like paying health-insurance premiums for that, and I wonder if that's just the tip of the iceberg.
The middle class is made up of the people who pay income taxes. I, for one, would like to see those who can afford to, share in the process. Obviously, the nation can no longer afford the generosity of letting these people get by with free passes.
Since a corporation is legally a person, let's have those persons tighten their belts as so many of the rest of us have had to do.
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Inese Holte
Duluth
