http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/22/opinion/poverty-taxes-and-the-candidates.html 2016-09-22 00:31:24 Poverty, Taxes and the Candidates Readers discuss an Op-Ed essay by Hillary Clinton on helping the poor and an editorial on Donald Trump’s foundation and tax returns. === To the Editor: Hillary Clinton’s Sept. 21 Op-Ed essay, “ The more immediate question is will her proposals bring back to the fold those proverbial disaffected white men who at one time were making solid middle-class incomes but are now struggling to keep their families afloat on near minimum wages. Does that voter see himself directly being aided by her plans? If not, her proposals will have little effect at the ballot box. What Mrs. Clinton and her economic brain trust must do quickly is to translate those categories of “good-paying jobs — jobs in infrastructure and manufacturing, technology and innovation, small businesses and clean energy” — into a vision that could become a reality, city by city, town by town. She, Tim Kaine and, yes, Vice President Joe Biden, must go from Wilkes-Barre to Scranton, from Akron to Toledo and every other struggling town with specific data as to how many jobs would be created in that town and in which categories. Then perhaps people would be able to see the direct impact the plan would have on their lives. Short of that, these proposals with so much merit may fall on deaf ears. ARTHUR SALZ Kew Gardens, Queens To the Editor: Re “ What would happen if Hillary Clinton’s name replaced Donald Trump’s in that headline, and if the Clinton Foundation replaced the Donald J. Trump Foundation throughout the article? At the very least, it would be front-page news. There would be a deafening clamor from the right, on TV and the internet, for multiple investigations, and Mr. Trump’s followers would be chanting “lock her up!” We have become dangerously desensitized to Donald Trump’s sleazy business dealings. EVELYN M. WITKIN Princeton, N.J. To the Editor: “ I think that the media needs to focus less on reporting every statement from each candidate and more on facilitating an understanding of the voters. Why are people who believe that Mr. Trump is unqualified still voting for him? Why are people who feel Mr. Trump presents a danger refusing to vote for Hillary Clinton? Our candidates are stirring up strong emotions. Perhaps further exploration of them will help us make more sense of what is happening in our country. JEFFREY B. FREEDMAN New York To the Editor: I am no Trump fan, but your editorial’s attempt to show what a bad guy Donald Trump is by quoting his statement “I fight very hard to pay as little tax as possible” is not a compelling argument. Do you know any folks who don’t try to reduce their tax obligation? FRANK MAHER North Haven, Conn.