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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The following letter was copied and pasted from today’s
(November 18, 2004) Spokesman Review’s Letters section<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>It is sincerely refreshing to read such a letter that puts
everything into its proper perspective. A very special vote of thanks
goes to Nick Gier, a citizen that <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>
should be proud to claim as one of its residents.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Blues are givers; Reds are takers<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>A recent book, "The Great Divide: Retro vs. Metro"
by John Sperling, puts the lie to comments that people live in Blue States
because of government handouts there. Here are some of Sperling's points:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The Red States have 35 percent of the population and 50
senators, while the Blue States have 65 percent of the population and 50
senators. Subsidized industries (agriculture, oil, gas, etc.) dominate in the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Red</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">States</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>,
and nonsubsidized manufacturing, financial and information services dominate in
the Blue States.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The Reds pay 29 percent of federal tax, while the Blues pay
71 percent. From 1991 to 2001, the Reds received $800 billion more in goods,
services and cash from the feds than it paid in taxes, while the Blues paid the
feds $1.4 trillion.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>In 2004, 39 states gave Kerry 1.5 million more votes than
Bush, while 11 states (the heart of the Confederacy) gave 5 million more votes
to Bush.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>John Edwards was correct to speak about two <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Americas</st1:place></st1:country-region>: one
that feeds at the federal trough and one that thanklessly fills the trough.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Nick Gier<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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