Horowitz on Wealth

Re “Redistributing Wealth: Unfair and Useless,” Column Right, May 27: David Horowitz cites a report from Public Interest that those “among the richest 1% actually earned their wealth,” and describes as “redistributing wealth” any efforts to promote greater equity in compensation or opportunity.

In a country where top executive compensation is hundreds of times that of front-line workers, perhaps the real “redistribution of wealth” is in taking wealth (the value of goods and services produced from raw materials) without allowing an equitable share of that wealth to the workers whose hands produced it, or investing in those who are entirely unproductive (the “cannots” as Horowitz calls them) to develop skills and equal access to opportunity so they can become productive.

This is not to deny the contribution of investors, managers and entrepreneurs nor their right to be well compensated for administration of the resources and opportunities of wealth. But we need to back away from the rhetoric of class divisiveness and recognize the contribution of all productive workers with more than just a pat on the back: by letting them share in the prosperity they generate.

DOUGLAS DUNN

Oceanside

* Horowitz did quite a service in alerting us to the imminent danger of Bill Gates’ fortune being confiscated and distributed to drug addicts and other lowlifes. I am certain that this gentleman earned every penny he has, and is using it all for the betterment of mankind (at least that portion who are worthy). Were it not for this brave man, the pending takeover of our society by fanatic communists would be unnoticed. They must be extremely clever, as no one else seems to be able to detect them.

I and my associates had been under the delusion that we who work for a salary were the ones under attack. Now that I know the truth, I am anxious to protect the deserving wealthy from this awful assault. Unfortunately, Horowitz neglected to identify these Marxists. Could someone please let me know who we are shooting at?

ALAN NEAL

Los Angeles