Mr. Straka’s article on Sept. 6, “Money and politics shouldn’t mix,” insinuates corporations are evil, pay slave wages, are responsible for broadening poverty, and enrich themselves at the expense of the common family. With a few exceptions, corporations pay employees and give raises on productivity and the company’s bottom line.

For the record, I am not and never have been a member of the Republican Party nor participated in their activities to fund or promote their candidates. I am a conservative who believes if the federal and state governments will get out of the way, American capitalism will create jobs and opportunities for all Americans.

Mr. Straka cites as examples the Koch brothers, the Walton family and Rupert Murdoch of wealthy, evil conservative corporations. Yet the Forbes Business Magazine listing of the 100 richest Americans are overwhelmingly Democrats.

Yes, there is an income gap between rich and poor. America is not a Third World country with few opportunities for upward mobility. There are federally and state-funded community college courses to upgrade individuals’ education; numerous federally and state-funded retraining programs; and, union sponsored apprenticeship programs available.

Unless people have a very serious mental or physical impairment preventing them from entering the work force, no American is forced to be poor. Maybe Sigmund Freud quote is appropriate: “Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.”

Mr. Straka laments that the wealth of the corporations flows to the owners. I retired from my delivery service corporation in Everett, Wash., in 2005 and moved to Columbia Falls in 2007. I risked my capital (money) in the start-up phase and drew a very small or nonexistent salary the first couple of years.

It was my responsibility, not the federal or state government’s, to maintain their employment and benefits. If my company failed my employees would draw unemployment benefits. An owner has no unemployment benefits. I would lose my investment, use my savings and/or assets to cover business debts, and if necessary file for bankruptcy. With no apologies my salary was much higher than my staff when I retired and I earned every dollar.

Mr. Straka states corporate welfare exceeds welfare for the poor. That is Goerge Orwell’s “doublespeak.” They get financial breaks and incentives because they create jobs in the private sector. The IRS gives individuals or married couples tax deductions on their mortgages, for excessive medical expenses, and for each child. So why shouldn’t corporations receive tax breaks and incentives to encourage employment? His solution is the government should force equal outcomes.

In 1985 I ran for mayor of the city of Seattle as a conservative and campaigned on a pro-growth and pro-blue-collar agenda. Mr. Straka’s article is laced with the same anti-business and anti-conservative talk FDR used in the 1930s that I refuted in the 1985 mayoral political debates.

They want government to make the decisions, level the playing field so everyone has an equal share, and heaven forbid achievers should be marginalized.

Socialism has a historical and modern-day record of destroying national economies. Ask the citizens of Greece, Portugal, Spain and other countries if their citizens have more jobs in the private sector or opportunities than the capitalist countries of Canada and the United States. I think not.

Rallis is a resident of Columbia Falls