Dear Senator Crapo:We have, in the past, contacted you about different subjects of concern to us. Our current concerns, however, are about a subject that is even more serious than those expressed in the past.

With all the discussion going on at the federal level concerning the budget, spending, and entitlements, we are deeply concerned about the LACK of discussion that we feel is more crucial than all of the other challenges combined. In all of the discussions we hear in the media, we constantly hear the Democrats decrying the fact that the Republicans (conservatives) are not in favor of taxing the "rich." First of all, we would like to hear the Democrats come out PUBLICLY AND HONESTLY and define for us who the "rich" are that fall within their taxing gun sights.More importantly, however, we would like to know how the Democrats can, in a free enterprise system, justify the punishing of those that are more financially successful than others. Is it not the goal of the free enterprise system to create an atmosphere where the degree of success is incumbent on the individual or business? It seems perfectly logical to us that when we attack the free enterprise system, we are heading directly into socialism, and worse. By worse, we mean communism and ultimately oppressive dictatorship.

We can understand the Liberal Democrats adhering to this philosophy, since their goals are perfectly clear to us (socialism and total government control). What we are having a hard time understanding is why the Republicans (conservatives) are not properly responding. We Republicans keep saying that the reason not to tax the "rich" is because they are the job creators. This is true, but the reason we give in the previous paragraph is the REAL reason not to crumble to the Democrats' attack on our system that was laid out by our forefathers. Let's not be so timid and call a spade a spade.Our Idaho legislators need to spearhead a fearless response to these destroyers of democracy and thereby receive credit for their good work, not only from Idahoans, but from the American people across the USA. Please, please, do it before it is too late.

Jim Selzler is a Post Falls resident. A copy of this column was sent as a letter to Sen. Mike Crapo.