Tax the rich

What will we do if the national debt becomes so big that other countries stop lending to us? How will we be able to pay entitlements and still pay for our military? We could dismantle some of our nuclear weapons, but at the same time we need to build a missile defense system.

If we can’t cut, the solution lies in higher taxes. These need not be imposed on everybody, but I believe the top 5 percent of the population makes about $4.5 trillion dollars. The deficit is only $440 billion, so a tax increase on the wealthiest need not be painful.

Alex Sokolow,

Santa Monica, California