Letter: Right-wing ideas have gone nowhere

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The right-wing ideas have now been proven to be bankrupt:

1. They said Obamacare was to be the ruin of our country. Well, it is working and providing coverage for millions of Americans who never have had coverage and has made it so insurance companies can no longer refuse coverage if you or a family member has a pre-existing condition.

2. They said gay marriage was the demise of our country. Nineteen states now have gay marriage, and everything seems to be working fine there.

3. They said climate change was not real. The polar caps are shrinking, there are more forest fires, more floods, and the Earth had its hottest year on record last year.

4. They said "trickle-down economics" was the answer. We tried it and that did not work.

5. They said that tax cuts would stimulate the economy. We have the lowest taxes in 50 years and still our economy struggles. Our economy was much more prosperous during the Clinton and Eisenhower administrations when taxes were much higher.

It is time to relegate these ideas, the politicians, and the corporate interests that promote them to the trash bin of history.

Mark Rothacher

Salt Lake City