Gee.

The Plain Dealer’s endorsement of Joe Biden (“Biden for president,” Oct. 11) ignores the elephant in the room -- the record $27 trillion national debt. Biden’s proposals for college tuition, the environment and health care would add trillions to that. Think that soaking the rich, raising corporate taxes and closing “loopholes” will pay that? Tell Joe to prove it.

And the full economic shock of COVID-19 is yet to come. Stimulus bills can’t go on forever. The endorsement correctly states, “the economy roared throughout Trump’s term before the coronavirus hit, and it has not faltered nearly as much as predicted during the pandemic.” He may be hard to take, but he’s good for business. Only a robust, expanding economy can bring us out of this. To think that the Democrats' plan for a Scandinavian-style welfare state can do it is a giant leap of faith. The average American pays about 14% in personal taxes; the average Swede, double that, plus a 25% value-added tax.

The Democratic base is hostile to the free enterprise system that has made us the most prosperous nation in history. Advice: Don’t kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

John Duffy,

Avon Lake