Dear super-rich The political reaction to your excesses may surprise you by jeff vonkaenel
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didn’t suddenly cost more to produce. Dear super-rich people, No, the drug companies just wanted to Things are going your way right make more money—and the patients now. Your taxes are being cut. Your would just have to pay the price. People corporate profits are way up. You have numerous political hacks willing—oh so have to go to prison for shoplifting a few items at a convenience store, but willing—to do your bidding. charging $750 for a $13.50 medicine is But beware. Your excesses are free enterprise at its best? building a social movement against you. For example, giving hedge fund Think of Donald Trump and Bernie managers a tax loophole so they are Sanders as being like the melting glaciers that foreshadow climate change. taxed at the lower 20 percent capitalgains rate, instead of the 39 percent tax You can pay political hacks to argue rate that would have applied. These that global warming is not happening. are the same hedge fund managers But it is, and these melting glaciers are who made a fortune while creating an just the beginning. economical meltdown for the rest of us. Similarly, the fact that two political And, for example, constantly clowns, Trump and Ben Carson, reducing taxes on the rich. are leading in the Republican I would hope that you, presidential polls. And a the super-rich, would socialist is now raising be embarrassed about as much money as All of your money how little you are the frontrunner on paying for a system the Democratic side. will not overcome that has clearly This should make the stink of your benefited you so you stay up at night, immoral practices. much. But no. The no matter which of latest Bush proposes your many houses you cutting your taxes even are sleeping in. While more. But cutting your these candidates have taxes will once again lead to their differences, they are all higher government deficits. Then we running against the system that has will need to borrow money from you, given you so much. the super-rich. And then you can lend Money, as you know, can do a lot. us money, maybe even the same money But money cannot overcome every you saved in taxes, which we will then obstacle, especially in a country where pay back to you with interest. we have elections. You can pour a lot Your excesses go on and on. But of money into those elections. You can the American people are catching on. have presidential candidates competing We’re seeing the reflection of their to win your favor and your donations. But although money may buy you love, disgust with you in the front-running candidates for president. We’d better all of your money will not overcome watch out. The political reaction to your the stink of your immoral practices of excesses could leave us with a leader sticking it to the American people. who would actually make things even You’d like some examples? worse, for you, but more importantly, For example, allowing drug for all of us. companies to jack up the cost of Imagine: Donald Trump. Ω life-saving drugs. Recently, Turing Pharmaceuticals bought Daraprim, a 62-year-old drug used to treat parasitic infections. They raised the price from Jeff vonKaenel is the president, CEO and majority $13.50 a tablet to $750. The drug owner of the News & Review.