Letters to the editor for Sept. 17

It’s still history, like it or not

There has to be a factory in Carlyle and Centreville that manufactures Crap-o-La because we read a lot of it from one of their employees at each factory. A person that thinks racism and hate doesn’t come from blacks as well as whites is simple-minded and stupid.

All the people destroying the Confederate symbols were showing racism and hate. They were black and white, but guess what? It’s still history, like it or not.

I don’t care what color you are, it’s not alright to use an excuse to demonstrate so you can destroy, steal and commit other crimes. When people work hard and accomplish something of themselves they shouldn’t have to have it destroyed by some thugs that think they are owed everything.

It’s way past time to stop using the race card. It’s way past time to stop Affirmative Action, the hiring quotas, the black only giveaways and appeasing. All of the above is reverse discrimination and it’s just as wrong as discrimination and everyone knows it.

To be fair, we should do away with all statues, monuments and remove the names of all people from bridges, buildings, highways or anything public. The blacks are not the only people that get offended.

It’s way past time politicians start doing their jobs and quit appeasing just to get the black vote, or doesn’t this country mean anything to them? It’s also time the bleeding hearts wise up and see what’s happening, quit playing games.

One Clinton in the White House was bad enough

I found reading on page 5A of the Sept. 11 edition of Belleville News-Democrat that was a source of tremendous relief and that is that Hillary Clinton is “done with being a candidate.” As long as she is true to her word, there is no more worry about another Clinton candidacy.

Thankfully, with the last national election, the Clintons were not able to sell us two for the price of one. Bill Clinton’s presidency was disgraceful and the worse one ever. I still wonder how anyone could ever believe that the wife of a draft dodger, pot smoker, adulterer and confirmed liar could fit into the role a president of the United States. Furthermore, I cannot see how any self-respecting woman would ever tolerate a man such as that! One Clinton in the White House was bad enough. We most certainly did not need another one!

Hillary Clinton has tried to blame other people (including FBI Director James Comey) for her loss of the election. The best advice that could be given to her is the same advice that Nelson Rockefeller gave to Barry Goldwater in the aftermath of the 1964 election: Blame yourself.

Think about negative effects of township consolidation

As the executive director of the Township Officials of Illinois, I would like to respond to the recent editorial titled “Swansea starts revolt against too many layers of government taxes.”

There is a general assumption in this piece that is not factual. If taxpayers were to eliminate a unit of local government — St. Clair Township — that in some way, those saved tax dollars would make their way to the statehouse to spend. That is entirely incorrect. Those dollars would not make their way to statehouse coffers.

In reality, here are facts about what truly would be lost should a township be consolidated or eliminated:

Lower costs per capita. Smaller governments cost taxpayers less money than larger governments and that is based off respected public policy researcher Wendell Cox findings. He also found that in Illinois, the smallest governments generally spent half as much per capita as those with local governments of populations between 10,000 to 250,000 residents.

Local services. Townships provide a host of vital local services such as programs for youth and seniors that would often be lost once made a part of a larger unit of government. Eliminating a township also means eliminating general assistance programs for our neighbors most in need of food, shelter and emergency relief.

When discussions of township consolidation or elimination occur, it’s important that citizens are aware that critical services could be eliminated or delivered at a higher cost. It’s not merely a matter of having more money to spend elsewhere.

No band coverage in the News-Democrat?

I attended a high school marching band competition Sept. 9 in O’Fallon, Illinois. High school bands from this area and also a few from Missouri competed in an all-day program. O’Fallon Township High School hosted this wonderful activity. Sadly there was no mention of it in the Belleville News-Democrat. There is another band competition Sept. 16 in Edwardsville. I am certain there will be no mention of it in the paper either. I guess no one cares about all the time and effort these high school musicians put into their craft. There seems to be a lot of information in newspapers about sporting activities and high school athletes but nothing about high school musicians. Perhaps a short article mentioning these hard working students would help them know that their efforts are appreciated just as much as the athletes.

I hope NFL owners understand why viewership is down

In response to the Pittsburg Post-Gazette editorial, ‘Another view: Football players’ response’:

I think the writer completely missed the point of Justice William O’Neill’s comment about the 12 Cleveland football players kneeling during the national anthem. He didn’t question their fundamental American right to do it. He said he was going to exercise his fundamental American right to not attend those sporting events. As will I. It is offensive to me, so I will not attend or watch on TV. I hope the NFL owners understand the reason viewership is down. I think they do.

All politicians lie

To Lee Pitzer: OK, so Donald Trump lies at times. All politicians lie, all of them; Barack Obama lied as well. But according to you it’s sounding like Trump does more. Don’t think so. Just because he may say some thing you don’t like doesn’t mean it’s a lie.

The Affordable Care Act should never have been signed into law. Congress should have just fixed what was already out there, like many now want ACA fixed, so why couldn’t the other be fixed just the same? Now instead ACA is failing left and right.

As for Trump golfing just because he is going to the places that have golfing doesn’t mean he is doing so, and maybe even him found out that every one including a president needs some time away from office. Do you not take vacations, or maybe even weekend getaways or do you stay home all the time and work?

If you go to Google and out in bar Trump’s accomplishments it will bring up several sites, look at some of them. You will see all of them there.

You make it sound like any one who voted for Trump is stupid and all, well guess that makes at least half of Americans stupid then.

No, I haven’t watch Fox News in a while, but so what if I did? They are a good thing to watch, despite what you and many others want to believe.

This story was originally published September 16, 2017 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Letters to the editor for Sept. 17."