The candidate is in touch

I must take strongest exception to the notion offered by theSeattle Times and many of its featured columnists that Mitt Romney is somehow out of touch.

He emphatically is in touch; he is in touchwith libertarianideology asinterpreted incorporate boardrooms, and he is intouch withthe platform approved by the Republican National Convention Aug. 28.

With the economicrealitiesfaced daily bythe average American citizen, though, not so much.

If this is the world view you wantguiding the countryafter November, by all means vote a straight Republican ticket.

Michael McCrath, Seattle

He’s right, and he should keep talking

Confused

Remember when Mitt Romney proudly defended his 14 percent income-tax payment saying that the American people wouldn’t choose someone for President who paid a penny more than was required? As if gaming the system to its lowest possible level was a badge of honor and the supreme test of a national leader?

Well, by this calculation, the 1,400 millionaires who bargained down their tax liability to zero last year, not to mention the Seattle ship worker cited by Danny Westneat [“Let’s look at who’s not paying taxes,” NWWednesday, Sept. 19] are more capable than Romney in leading this country.

Heck, we might as well elect Boeing for president, since it paid no taxes last year either. After all, corporations are people, my friend!

Never mind that Romney considers these millionaires and corporations to be “victims” who won’t take responsibility for themselves.

I’m confused, Mitt. Are Boeing and those millionaire pals of yours job creators or moochers?

Janet Pelz, Seattle

Take responsibility

Regarding Mitt Romney’s “47 percent of Americans pay no income tax” comment, we’ve been ignoring some other “people” fitting this category who I feel deserve mentioning. Those would be the corporations (unfortunately defined as “people” from a legal perspective) that paid NO (net) federal income taxes in the period 2008-2011.

These include General Electric, Pepco Holdings, Wells Fargo, DuPont, Verizon Communications, Duke Energy, Consolidated Edison and even local favorites Paccar and Boeing.

As Romney suggested, maybe these “people” should “take personal responsibility and care for their lives” also.

Frank Schumann, Seattle