Comparisons of Bush and Reagan

Re “Tax Cut Bill Becomes Law,” June 8: President Bush proudly proclaimed that our nation has not had an across-the-board tax cut since President Reagan. I seem to recall that after the Reagan tax cuts there was no money to pay for essential services like Social Security, Medicaid, national defense and our nation’s infrastructure, so we wound up with massive deficits for almost two decades. Perhaps the senior Bush could have pointed out that the current tax cut was just deja voodoo economics all over again.

Joel C. Koury

Santa Monica

Re “Details, Schmetails--Bush’s Avoidance Policy Starts to Rankle,” June 7: It’s fascinating that Republicans proudly compare Bush’s governing style to Reagan’s by saying that Bush’s “modus operandi is to be chairman of the board” (Tom Korologos). Chairman of the board is traditionally an emeritus position awarded to a corporate chief executive at the end of his career. It is usually symbolic and advisory. George W. was elected president, and it’s curious that his supporters want to kick him upstairs so early in his term.

Bob Goldstein

Los Angeles