Sunday, Nov. 08, 2009

Letters 11/8

The road to ruin

You don't have to be an Albert Einstein to know what is happening. The message on the wall is in such bold print, anyone should be able to understand.

If our government is now broke and has to borrow so much money from the Chinese, why should we believe it will have any money next year or even five or 10 years from now to pay off this loan?

Our government will not get a second job or even a better-paying job. It can only rely on our businesses to grow and put more people to work, bringing in more taxes.

The idea of higher taxes will only work for a limited time. Soon those paying will start laying people off and closing their doors. This will lead to less taxes.

When the Chinese want us to pay them back, we will have to comply. We will have no money to spend for defense. Their military outnumber our military at least 20 to 1.

At least our children will not have to pay off this debt we gave them. They will no longer have a country of their own; the Chinese will own it all.

Why did proud Americans turn out to be so stupid? We blindly gave up the most beautiful, wonderful country, and for what? Greed, power, revenge, fame, stupidity, selfishness, laziness or all of the above?

Roy J. Worstell

Highland

Are leaders listening?

I cannot believe that the Senate leadership is still pushing a public option against the wishes of Americans. And I cannot believe the lack of transparency regarding this issue.

President Barack Obama promised us that this administration would be transparent, that we would watch all but national security policies on C-SPAN.

"I'm going to have all the negotiations around a big table. We'll have the negotiations televised on C-SPAN, so that people can see who is making arguments on behalf of their constituents and who is making arguments on behalf of the drug companies or the insurance companies." Barack Obama, August 2008.

Well, that is not happening. What is happening are secret meetings behind closed doors, incomprehensible policies exceeding 1,000 pages and representatives voting on bills they do not read.

We are supposed to be a representative republic; we are quickly becoming an oligarchy. Instead of reinventing the health care industry, why not allow portability of health insurance so that citizens can buy insurance across state lines, thereby increasing competition? Reform tort laws, stop frivolous lawsuits which like the lack of portability drive up the cost of health care? The "public option" that our representatives are pushing is not free.Someone will have to pay for it, and that someone is the taxpayer.

Andrew Colon

O'Fallon

The issue: Jobs

Bill Clinton's campaign was infamous for using the line: "It's the economy, stupid." I would say to our current Washington officials: It's jobs, stupid.

Increasing corporate taxes to pay for this travesty of a health care reform plan is not going to create jobs. Cap and trade policies are not going to create jobs. This policy, in particular, will not help union coal miners.

Sorry, but letter writer Michael Ray Dillier's president is not union-friendly. Remember Clinton and NAFTA.

These policies will do nothing but cause unemployment to surge even higher. The policies of President Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the liberal zombies are far more frightening than any of the monsters at Halloween.

We need real change. It's time for people who love freedom to get energized for the 2010 election.

Pride always comes before a fall.

James J. Price

Coulterville

The way to reform

The status quo wins again. If Illinois legislators want to reform campaign finance, they are going about it backwards. Rather than limit how much individuals, PACs and unions can give while political parties have no limit, individuals should be allowed to donate unlimited personal funds to the campaign of their choice; businesses and unions should have reasonable limits, and political parties and PACs should have a stricter limit.

Political parties should exist to establish platforms and advocate in support of those ideas instead of playing kingmaker with personalities, as they currently do. Candidates could choose to associate with the party platform or not, but they would not be dependent upon the party for political survival.

Such an environment might level the campaign playing field for third-party candidates who are otherwise unable to compete financially against opponents backed by the established political parties.

Cary Mathews

Belleville

The enemy is greed

Our economy has gone through tremendous changes, downturns, and hard times since 9/11. Our jobs, businesses and opportunities to save our country are dwindling quickly. The products that we buy, the foods that we eat, and a large number of customer service support roles are generated overseas, primarily in China.

More steel plants are closing and the work is being shipped overseas. Junk cars are shredded in the U.S. and transported to China, Mexico and other countries.

Our nation is so riddled with ego, politics and greed. The result of this contributes greatly to our declining economy.

Thousands of Americans are losing their jobs and struggling to make ends meet while our politicians continue to put America deeper in debt. When is it going to stop?

Charles L. Hukel

Belleville

Different agendas

For years Congress has attempted to pass a constitutional amendment banning flag desecration. For years the House has said yes. For years the Senate, led by the fine socialist senators from Illinois, have blocked it. They have determined that you and I should not express our views on the subject.

The Democratic National Committee held a competition in which contestants were asked to come up with TV commercials advocating health care. Good news. Their selection process has narrowed the competition down to the top 20. One of these is a blatant example of desecration of the symbol of our country.

I'm so proud of our senators. Just think, if they had allowed us to approve this amendment, this great piece of art would never have seen the light of day.

When, pray tell, are we going to wake up and start putting people in office who represent the values of average Americans? It is very obvious that these people have their own agenda, and our opinions and desires are not a part of their considerations.

Carl Bales

Belleville

Oh, for a simpler time

Mamie Eisenhower's personal secretary was paid for out of Mamie's personal checkbook. Mary Lincoln was taken to task for purchasing china dinnerware for the White House.

How times have changed. I understand the first lady now requires 26 servants. Wages for these 26 servants total $1.75 million yearly.

Give serious thought to what we have done.

Fred Busch

New Baden