Amos '06

Monday October 16th, Amos 5: The LORD said: 10 You people hate judges and honest witnesses; 11 you abuse the poor and demand heavy taxes from them. You have built expensive homes, but you won't enjoy them; you have planted vineyards, but you will get no wine. 12 I am the LORD, and I know your terrible sins. You cheat honest people and take bribes; you rob the poor of justice. Does this seem to fit? We are hearing a lot about so called activists judges which is usually a term meaning those judges who do not agree with the person calling them an activists judge. The largest and most aggressive tax cuts for the wealthy in history, down from 75% during the Kennedy years to in the neighborhood of 36% today, with pushes for more tax cuts for the wealthy, all come with corresponding program and benefit cuts for the poor. The most sadistic attempt was the tying of permanent estate tax cuts for the wealthy to the first increase in the minimum wage in ten years. Housing prices are going out of sight and affordable housing is becoming a major issue in almost every major metropolitan area. Can’t say much about the wine issue, but cheating honest people and taking bribes sure comes to mind with all the lobbyists scandals. Do you think, maybe, Amos has something to say to us today?