Letters to the Editor: Sept. 17, 2012

Using the tragedy at the Libyan consulate as a political attack just proves that Mitt Romney is neither fit to lead nor is he a good human being.

Boo on Romney!

Andrew Mueller

Alexandria

States should tax land, not income

Re: “Revenue-hungry states target out-of-state businesses,” Local Editorial, Sept. 13

I completely agree with your editorial that states should not be allowed to tax businesses with no physical presence within their borders. The next logical stepis to have taxes based solely on physical presence; in other words, land value taxation.

Under this system, people and businesses wouldn’t have to file complicated tax forms in even one state, let alone multiple jurisdictions. They would just receive an assessment and a tax bill for whatever land they owned.

So someone owning land only in Florida would not have to worry about getting a huge tax bill — or any tax bill — from Michigan.

Nicholas D. Rosen

Arlington

DYRS is making significant progress

Re: “City’s youth agency working on closing the gaps,” Sept. 12

D.C.’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services has achieved a number of important public safety gains in addition to the reduction in abscondences mentioned in this article.

Specifically, the data for the first eight months of 2012 show that arrests of youth committed to DYRS are down 39 percent, with decreases in all offense categories — including a 32 percent decrease in robberies.In addition, not a single youth committed to DYRS has been arrested for homicide or been the victim of homicide in 2012.

These gains are a significant step in the right direction for DYRS, but there is still room for improvement.I am certain that through our valuable public safety and community-based partnerships, we’ll continue to improve outcomes for DYRS, our youth and our city.

Neil A. Stanley

Director,

Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services

District of Columbia

Obama should not apologize to embassy attackers

My question for civilized people: Would you kill for a video that included a slur against your God? As a Jew or a Christian, would you set fires and rampage in the gutter over such a perceived insult?

So why does President Obama apologize to the savages who do?

The correct stance for a leader would be to lead and explain as follows:

1) This video does not reflect the policy of the American government or was in any way encouraged or endorsed by it;

2) We live in a free society where people have the right to say things that are asinine or obnoxious;

3) So sorry your feelings are hurt, but this is the price of democracy.

Ira Blacker

Marina del Rey, Calif.