Dear editor,

President Obama is really collecting a fine group of characters to help out in Washington. Timothy Geithner, a tax cheat ($34,000-plus), to run the Treasury Department and its subsidiary, the Infernal Revenue Service. Tom Dashle, a more competent tax cheat ($128,203 plus $11,964 interest), is the author of a book that suggests ending the tax credit for company sponsored employee medical insurance benefits. That is a simple but sweeping idea that would quickly put an end to affordable health insurance options and enhance the growth of Health and Human Services Department. The only appointment missing is to appoint Bernard Madoff to run the Social Security System. He is already familiar with failing Ponzi sschemes.

Kenneth Larsen

Calistoga