So you won’t have it easy after Congress, huh, Joe Barton?

How can he ever get by on that?

I’m very surprised with the Dec. 9 story, “After 34 years, a post-scandal Joe Barton gets set to leave Congress.” (1B)

Barton states that he will receive a pension but “it is not lavish by any means.” That statement is what’s wrong in Washington. He will receive more than $139,000 per year plus insurance benefits. I think that sounds very lavish to most of his constituents.

It’s time for change. Meanwhile, if you see poor Joe on a street corner in Ennis, resist the urge to drop a couple of coins in his tin cup.

The tax problem goes deep

A letter writer Tuesday correctly blames Congress for underfunding the IRS, thereby making it likely that many millionaires will get away with tax fraud. (9A)

But President Donald Trump is also to blame for making federal taxation unfair for ordinary citizens who every year properly pay their federal taxes to support our critical defense and domestic programs.

Trump praises people such as Paul Manafort who are guilty of federal tax fraud, and Trump and his family use gimmicks to avoid paying federal taxes. In addition, Trump will leave our children and grandchildren massive federal debt to pay off as a result of his tax cuts for the wealthy and record government spending.

Real explanations needed

Richard Greene’s Dec. 16 commentary on the “outcomes-based” president is a classic demonstration of cognitive dissonance, with opinions presented as facts. (5B, “An outcomes-based presidency: I like what Trump’s done”)

Here is a short list of assumed truths from his column, followed by a reality check:

1. Tax reform benefits all Americans. The bulk of the tax breaks go to the rich and corporations, and they blow up an already-bad national budget deficit.

2. Industry is being “relieved” of burdensome regulations. These regulations protect our air, water and safety.

3. Obamacare’s individual mandate is bad. Like car insurance mandates?

4. Illegal immigrants would be “overwhelming” without President Donald Trump. Please. Illegal immigration has been trending lower for more than a decade.

5. The U.S. is exporting oil. Trump had nothing do with this. Research the history of shale-oil extraction methods and government-mandated vehicle fuel economy.

I’ve run out of space, but you get the picture.

Time to quit pretending

Dear President Donald Trump voters:

You already insulted our intelligence once when you insisted on the silly idea that Mexico would pay for Trump’s wall. Please don’t make it worse with excuses for his failure to make his ridiculous promise come true.

There is no need to shut down the U.S. government over money that y’all promised would be happily paid by Mexico.

Maybe the check is in the mail.

Yes, the Senate must act now

In their letter, “The Senate has long stood in defense of democracy — and must do so again” (Dec. 13, 9A), 44 former senators say there are “serious challenges to the rule of law, the Constitution, our governing institutions and our national security. … Our nation must engage at every level with strategic precision and the hand of both the president and the Senate. … The rule of law and the ability of our institutions to function freely and independently must be upheld.”

How true. The Senate should quickly approve all of the president’s judicial appointments, fully fund the border wall and help regain lost constitutional direction and control over “our institutions” in the partisan and recalcitrant deep state.