In "Taxes Needn't Discourage Philanthropy" (Economic View, July 29), Robert J. Shiller noted that, despite the supposed disincentive of high marginal tax rates, economic growth was exceptionally strong when income tax rates were far higher than today's.
To the Editor: Robert J. Shiller is spot on in saying that taxes needn't discourage philanthropy and stand to propel it In a hornet's nest of legislative debate over the reduction of deductions, however, it's become an either/or, more/less discussion.
As he put it, "I believe we need to encourage, not discourage, the creation of new small-business enterprises, without which upward mobility on the socioeconomic ladder would become that much more difficult".
"Of course, what they desperately need to do is to create jobs, not discourage them".
"We need to help them sort through it, not discourage the use of information," he said.
Despite the cautionary note, those who insist on working out six times per week need not feel discouraged.
This is not necessarily surprising and need not be discouraging given that most programmes are highly targeted, investment of public resources is limited and program durations are short.
Remember that there will be obstacles along the path, and we need not be discouraged.
The proposed metrics should not discourage true collaboration that serves the needs of science rather than gift authorship.
It is very difficult, of course, to determine a level of co-payment that discourages unnecessary utilization of services, and that does not discourage patients from seeking medical services they really need [ 23].
