Dear George,

Even though the Richmond Times Dispatch is giving Tom Delay a hard time, it looks like they will go easy on Mr. Kilgore. His assertion that neither Allen nor Gilmore had to raise taxes to increase education funding conveniently ignores the robust economic growth during Allen's term and for most of Gilmore's. Mr. Warner was faced with, and handled well, bailing out the sort of fiscal irresponsibility that assumes good times are always here.

I am mystified how Republicans think we can ensure future economic prosperity, much less avoid recession, when their plan is to disinvest in public assets and pass the problems off to another generation. When will our young people realize that they will be paying off the construction bonds used to finance the universities at the same time they will be paying off the student loans taken to pay for the tuition increases generated by State underfunding of those same universities?

A question for your readers: if both major party candidates promise tax cuts who are voters more likely to believe?

Al Weed (electronic mail, April 14, 2005)