It's a well-established debating technique: Answer a question with a question. In other words, don't answer the question. U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack, R-North Branch, used it in his Deer River town hall meeting, according to coverage in the Aug. 10 News Tribune ("Cravaack keeps the peace").
Asked by one of his 8th Congressional District constituents why he was supporting lower taxes for the rich, Cravaack answered: "Who are the rich? Give me a number."
I'll give him a number or two. Congressional pay is currently set at $174,000 annually, perhaps not considered rich in some circles, but a tidy sum in the eyes of most of his northern Minnesota constituents. Add to that the retirement pay he likely receives for an ex-Navy captain -- whatever that might be -- and Cravaack's income likely gets a nice boost up over the $200,000 mark. That'd be all taxpayer money, by the way.
But there's more. He's also a retired Northwest Airlines pilot. Who can say what retirement benefits, if any, that might add to his annual take? He can.
Once a person broaches a quarter of a million dollars a year in income (not to mention income generated by other family members), by most standards, he's considered plenty well off, some would say rich.
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So for an answer to his question, "Who are the rich?" maybe he should check his own bank accounts for the numbers. Or look in a mirror.
Jim Heffernan
Hermantown
