To the Journal editor:

President Trump has proposed a budget.

Is it just for President Trump to cut safety-net programs and all the people programs, and to cut income tax rates?

Is it just for, We the People, to increase safety-net programs and all the people programs, and to finance these programs by increasing our income tax rate for the wealthy and by cutting income tax deductions for the wealthy?

To answer our questions, we define, justify and apply justice.

What is justice?

Justice is revealed in our history when we progressed from justice for the few to justice for all.

In our founding our minimalist government declared rights for wealthy white males to promote justice for the few.

In our history our activist national government used many revolutions to construct rights for all to progress justice for all, including economic, educational, environmental, and health rights for all workers in all workplaces, all workers in retirement, and all people in all sexes.

Based on justice for all, President Trump’s program cuts are unjust because they cut programs to progress our right for justice for all.

Based on justice for all, we propose increasing programs to:

1. Progress our right for high-paying jobs for all.

2. Progress our right for equal pay for equal work for all.

3. Progress our right for free education and training for all.

4. Progress our right for free health care for all.

5. Progress our right for healthy environments for all.

6. Progress our right for safe roads for all.

7. Progress our right for food stamps for all.

Based on justice for all, President Trump’s income tax rate cuts are unjust because they 1. chiefly promote justice for the wealthy, 2. will not achieve President Trump’s predicted 3% economic growth rate (according to our nonpartisan Congressional Research Service), 3. will increase our national debt (according to our Congressional Research Service), and 4. will cut revenue to progress justice for all.

Based on justice for all, our proposed progression of justice for all is financed by increasing our progressive income tax rate for the wealthy from 39 percent to 70 percent (our rate in our 1970s), and by eliminating income tax deductions that chiefly promote justice for the wealthy.

Contrasting President Trump’s cuts with We the People’s increases, President Trump promotes justice for the Justice for all.

Gordon Peterson

Marquette

Editor’s note: This letter writer should not be confused with Gordon J. Peterson, a retired funeral director who worked many years for Swanson-Lundquist Funeral Home in Marquette.