Readers write (July 17): Tax the rich, Tom Horner and Tim Penny, Congress, Michele Bachmann, Mitch McConnell, Jason Lewis, Correction

Thanks to Dee DePass and David Phelps for their story on Minnesota's wealthiest residents ("Top earners cool to paying more," July 8). I had been looking for a story on this.

After the rich man pronounced as "obnoxious" any further sacrifice on the part of high earners, one could almost hear the sniff in his voice. One of the oldest philosophical endeavors is to provide moral justification for the wealth and privilege of the few vs. basic services for the many.

The story featured people making more than a million bucks a year who were "hostile to lukewarm" toward any additional sacrifice on their part to prevent the evisceration of Minnesota as we know it.

Their so-called moral justification is that they are the "job creators" (in Mexico and Asia at least), and so their wealth must continually increase to provide a steady trickle-down to the rest of us, who must learn to "live within our means."

There are many words to describe this viewpoint, such as "un-Christian."

BILL MCINTOSH, NORTHFIELD, MINN.

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These guys must be those job-creators that we keep hearing about. I bet if we give them more tax cuts they will create jobs in India and screw even more people here in the hope of making a quick buck.

Please stop the lies about the wealthy creating jobs. They are only looking to maximize profits.

JIM BARBEAU, CHAMPLIN

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Tim Penny and Tom Horner made a number of important observations about politics and good government, but their conclusion was either naive or cynical ("Of politics, principles and pragmatism," July 8).

Realistically, would any member of the Legislature listen to me? Would those who live in legislative districts different from mine even care what I think? Saying the solutions are in the hands of the people might be politically correct, but in today's corrosive political climate it's usually political rhetoric.

LARRY PRATT, ST. ANTHONY

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Last week, President Obama held a news conference in which he spoke of his conflict with Congress. He mentioned "the American people" five times (I counted).

This is a favorite phrase used continually by candidates, members of Congress and elected officials. You can count them, too, the next time there's a speech or debate.

HARRI WISSER, PRIOR LAKE

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Michele Bachmann may like making pledges to her followers, but any presidential candidate should realize the only oath that counts is the one taken to serve all the people of the United States.

DAVID COUNCILMAN, St. Louis Park

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Besides the reported suggestion that African-American kids were better off during slavery, the pledge also says that blacks are more promiscuous than whites; rejects an "intolerant system of sharia Islam" (but apparently endorses an intolerant system of Christian theocracy); upholds the First Amendment's protection of freedom of speech to make homophobic or racist comments in churches; rejects population control, and states that homosexuality is a choice and says there is no scientific evidence to the contrary (but quotes the Bible as if it is scientific evidence).

Among the more bizarre aspects of the pledge is language about protecting our soldiers from "intimate commingling" in restrooms, showers and barracks. It states that a long list of things like adultery and serial marriage leads to anal incontinence. How can anyone take any of this or a candidate who signs the pledge seriously?

STEVE MILLIKAN, MINNEAPOLIS

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I see that U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's obligation is to his party ("Their own words," July 14) and to avoid doing anything that might help to get Obama reelected. What have we come to when a political leader views this as his main reason for being in office?

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The credibility of Lewis would be much higher if he at least acknowledged that our government's being tied down by special interests is not a uniquely left-wing phenomenon.

I'm curious where all these fiscal conservatives were when we were borrowing money at an alarming rate to fund two wars and take very good care of the ultra-rich in the Wall Street fiasco.

ANDREW BERG, VADNAIS HEIGHTS

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