A Letter to the President

Dear Readers,

The letter below was sent to the White House via U.S. Postal mail on Saturday, Nevember 17 of this year.  What this letter has to do with Catholicism and our contemporary culture will emerge over the course of future postiings.


1532 Westshire Lane
Richmond, VA  23238
November 17, 2012

The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC  20500

Dear Mr. President:

The following submitted as a fiscally responsible approach to prevent adding to the Federal deficit in the event of future military interventions that are authorized by the Congress or by Presidential fiat.

I am requesting that your administration introduce legislation during the next session of Congress that mandates that all future military interventions anywhere in the world, regardless of scale, projected duration or purpose, be funded on a pay-as-you-go basis by an income tax surcharge applicable to all taxpayers both individual and corporate.  No individual or corporate tax payer will be exempt. Those currently paying no Federal income tax will be taxed at the surcharge rate.  Ongoing actual expenditures related to any future conflict will be determined by the Congressional Budget Office.  The surcharge will not be removed until the conflict is completely paid for.

This approach has several advantages:
•      It is fiscally responsible.
•      The more hawkish among us, regardless of the office they hold, will be less likely to advocate “sending in the troops” whenever it appears to them that American interests are at risk. 
•      The likelihood of discretionary wars and interventions will be reduced.
•      An ethic of shared sacrifice will be imposed in that all Americans, not just military families, will become stakeholders in the hostilities.

Perhaps most important of all, as stakeholders all of our citizens will share in the moral responsibility for the consequences of the any military action.  And as this approach is likely to extend the time the Congress will debate a war resolution, our citizens will have a greater opportunity to become informed as to the gravity of the issues involved, form their consciences as to the morality of the planned intervention and communicate with their Congressional delegation accordingly.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

James E. O’Connor