Bear Stearns, AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac. According to Time Magazine, the bailout of these and potentially other financial services firms could cost American taxpayers $800 BILLION. Re-read that last line. It dwarfs the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s. That ONLY cost $124 BILLION. There is a common thread that ties these two crises together.
While some people are vociferously opposed to government regulation of private enterprise there is no question that regulation is necessary. When people (and the greed that drives many of them) are allowed to operate their businesses without oversight, things like this can, and inevitably will, happen.
You may be wondering, why didn’t someone stop this a long time ago? The simple answer is there weren’t enough big old dogs guarding the henhouses. Now the weasels have run amok and there are feathers everywhere.
There is one political party that historically is for government oversight, and one that is against it. Would anyone like to venture a guess?
The common thread I spoke of before is a four letter word. It should be right up there with the ones that got your mouth washed out with Ivory in your formative years: B-U-S-H. George the first was VP when the savings and loan crisis got rolling, and George the second is in the high chair for this one.
This much is clear. If the GOP couldn’t be trusted to ensure people’s savings and mortgages in the past, does anyone think they will in the future? Nov. 4 is closer than you think.
— Mark Bender
Prairie Creek
Obama gun record remains troubling
I am writing this in response to John McFall’s letter to the editor in the Monday, Sept. 8 edition.
First of all, I don’t care for either one of these candidates, but if you think Obama is for the law-abiding gun owner, you are sadly mistaken. You’re right, Mark Burns’ quotes were word for word from the NRA, but that’s not the point. Why don’t you look up Obama’s voting record on guns in the past? That’s not too hard.
You’ve been misled, too. Good pal of Mayor Daley’s, too, isn’t he? You need to do a little more research.
— James Phillips
Marshall, Ill.
Obama better equipped to be president
Who can deny that in the dynamic and complex 21st century world in which we live the best answers to the threatening, often bewildering challenges America faces are rarely as obvious as black and white?
It is of utmost importance that our next president is highly intelligent and capable of wisely weighing the consequences of policies he would have our government take in response to the many-sided foreign and domestic dilemmas we face as a nation. If that president is going to be prone to simple-minded and impulsive actions, our tax dollars will be squandered and our long-term national security and prestige weakened.
Comparing the college academic records of John McCain and Barack Obama, we find that McCain was barely able to graduate from the Naval Academy and actually finished 894 out of 899 in his senior class. On the other hand, Obama graduated toward the top of his class at the Harvard Law School, which is perhaps the most academically challenging law school in our country. While he was there, he was selected as editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. Of course, school grades aren’t everything, but they can be an indicator of future good or bad judgment.
With regard to the dominant issue of our time, the war in Iraq, Barack Obama had the keen intelligence to oppose it from the beginning. He is on record as saying it would be a dumb war and that by invading Iraq we would be taking our national eyes off of Osama bin Laden, who murdered more than 3,000 Americans on 9/11. He also said that it would be hard to get out of Iraq and that the war would incite anti-American feeling around the world.
John McCain agreed with George Bush that invading Iraq was a good idea. He argued that the Iraqis would greet us as heroes on the streets of Baghdad. Now, 4,000 plus dead U.S. soldiers later (plus one trillion dollars— more than $12,000 for every American family of four), we citizens must ask ourselves, “Has it really been worth it?”
Osama bin Laden is still laughing at us, and even if things ever truly calm down in Iraq, is it reasonable to believe that Iraq’s Middle Eastern Muslim society is ever actually going to be a loyal friend and ally of America unless we have our guns pointed at their heads — to the tune of billions of taxpayer dollars a month — for another 100 years or so?
Mental ability matters! Barack Obama’s college grades were a sign he would be bright enough to see through the half-truths and lies George Bush and key members of his administration fed the American people to get us to go along with his invasion of Iraq. John McCain’s college grades indicated what a mediocre mind he has. What else explains how the man not only eagerly endorsed George Bush’s war in Iraq, but also, according to the published records of the U.S. Senate, has agreed with Bush’s policy initiatives in Congress on all subjects nearly 95 percent of the time, including privatizing Social Security so it will be highly dependent on the stock market?
We need a genuine change of direction in the political leadership in our country. We need a thoughtful and smart leader like Barack Obama, who opposed Bush’s war, and Bush’s giving tax cuts to the super rich and little if any relief to other Americans, and Bush doing nothing to prepare our nation for its current energy crisis, and letting our schools and roads crumble while saddling coming generations with mountains of debt to foreign nations like Communist China in order to finance the staggering national debt his tax cuts for the privileged few has caused.
We do not need a shallow and simplistic thinker like John McCain, who has hugged George Bush with both arms more times in public than he has really disagreed with him.
— Steve Kash
Terre Haute
Gov. Palin lives as she believes
Sometimes an idea needs to put skin on to be fully understood.
The catch phrases “pro-life” and “pro-choice” have been bandied about for so long that we don’t even think about them as real-life realities, just political positions with which we beat one another over the head. We take one position or the other and stand by it, argue for it, legislate and debate it.
Enter Sarah Palin — a new name in our political lexicon, a new face in the public eye outside of Alaska, a new set of parameters for the Republican party. And one more thing — pro-life with skin on.
Last December, Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, was given some shocking news. Prenatal tests indicated that the baby she was carrying would be born with Down’s syndrome, a genetic condition that stems from an extra chromosome and affects a child’s physical, intellectual and language development. With four children and her political career to juggle, Ms. Palin and her husband obviously faced a difficult decision. Gov. Palin takes the political position that life is to be respected from conception onward.
However, it might have been an easy route to take, not as a politician but as a professional woman, to convince herself that the quality of life for this unborn child would be so unpleasant that ending it before the baby left the womb would be preferable for all concerned. She could go on with her career, and her husband and healthy children would not be inconvenienced. Gov. Palin’s decision was unequivocal, and on April 18 of this year she gave birth to a 6-pound, 2-ounce son. Trig Paxson Van Palin. Life wins.
Within this same year (one Ms. Palin will surely look back on as eventful) the Palin family would face another life or death choice involving an unborn baby — this one belonging to their 17 year-old daughter, Bristol, and her boyfriend. Many families in America and around the world are faced with becoming grandparents before becoming parents-in-law, and the quality of their parenting is judged not by the fact that their teenage child was sexually active, but by how they handle the unwanted pregnancy when it arrives on their doorstep.
None of us know what conversations occurred, how many tears were shed, what options were considered and then rejected, but eventually it was decided: Bristol would keep her baby and the young couple would marry. Life wins again.
Many will say in one or both cases it would have been better to end the lives of these children before they could be born. One might say that the sacrifice is not worth it, the wasted future of this young girl soon to be a mother, the many hours the Palin family will have to spend on a baby who may never be a productive member of society. Some say that these are lives which need to be thrown away on the ash heap of society, lives which should never see the light of day. Some say they are not lives at all, but a pre-life form which can be removed as one would remove an appendix or a kidney stone.
Arguments will go on and on, but the truth is too dazzling to deny. A woman who dares to live out, with courage, every day, her belief that life is a gift from God is truly fitting as a running mate for the presidential candidate who turned down a chance to leave a brutal prisoner of war camp, knowing he was buying himself more torture by his bravery.
In the face of such sacrifice, arguments trail off into silence. Gov. Palin, we salute you.
— Laurie Jackson
Terre Haute
Negativity just holds Brazil back
Recently a letter of mine called “Resident reflects on several topics, old and new” was published in the Brazil Times on June 30.
I was talking about types of businesses Brazil could possibly have in the future. I never said that it will happen.
However, a week later a reader responded with a letter called “Reader delves into economics of city.”
His letter was published on July 7.
Now, I imagine this guy means well, and he may have a few good points. But it’s how he went about it, referring to my letter-writing.
Here are some excerpts from his letter. In one statement he says, “He (meaning me) is obviously passionate about Brazil and its success (or lack thereof). He was absent the (meaning me) day supply and demand was taught in economics class.”
In another statement, he says, “But Brazil (because of population and economic demographics) cannot support them.”
Another statement from Mr. Reader says “He (me) of course would do well to take a class on basic economics. But until then, we will just continue to be amazed and entertained by his letter-writing (meaning my letters).”
Mr. Reader says, “if he (me again) thinks these businesses can be successful in Brazil then maybe he (me again) can start one on the west side. I (meaning him) am sure he (meaning me) will be out of business and back to writing letters in a short period.”
Industry doesn’t want to come here, he says.
Well, in some ways he might be right because Great Dane and the Coatings Plant are not really in Brazil, and the Canadian Brick Factory is out on SR 59 near Ashboro.
He says population and demographics won’t support anything in the west part of Brazil, but they don’t seem to mind supporting businesses that locate on the east side. Some of Brazil’s popular businesses are on the west side.
So, Mr. Reader, you think if I start some kind of business in the west part of town, it won’t last long, and I will be back to letter-writing, so I can amaze and entertain readers like you. Who knows what the future hold? But you have to think positive and throw negative out. If you’re going be negative all the time then Brazil, which is already behind the times, will most likely never catch up.
I will probably be writing again sometime soon about something and who knows, maybe I can amaze and entertain the readers.
Sorry I missed out on basic economics, supply and demand. I could be brilliant like Mr. Reader. Shame on me.
— John J. Weddle
Brazil
Great start to year at Chauncey Rose
The 2008-2009 has been one of great firsts for Chauncey Rose Middle School. We have welcomed new faces and repositioned some “veterans” so that we can be the best for our students.
Mrs. Connie Mallory Johnson (parent of former Royals!), guidance counselor, and I have welcomed Mr. Gary Dellmo as assistant principal, and Mrs. Meg Merrill (parent of former Royals!) as our dean of students.
New faces in the classrooms at Chauncey Rose include: Mrs. Amanda Adamson, Mr. Troy Isles, Mrs. Margie Jenkins, Ms. Jamie Luna, Mrs. Elaina Milner, Mr. Eric Schatz, Mrs. Valerie Smith, and Mr. James Stepp. These new members, coupled with our already stellar staff, are the team that will certainly be “making a difference” in the lives of our students.
We have had two wonderful events this school year that have acquainted us with our new sixth-graders and their parents and reacquainted us with our seventh- and eighth-grade students and parents. We packed the house at our parent/student orientation night on Aug. 14 and saw equally great attendance at our open house on Sept. 4. We at Chauncey Rose welcome all opportunities to have our parents and community friends come and share their thoughts and ideas. It is only by working together that we can ensure we are “making a difference” in the lives of our students.
At this time we would also like to say “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts” to some very special friends from the medical community. On Aug. 19, Dr. Jim Turner (parent of former Royals!), Dr. Steve McDonald (parent of former Royals!), Dr. Andy McDonald (former Royal!), Dr. Elaine Carlson, Dr. Nick Dahl, and Ms. Beth Fields, N.P., donated their time to provide free student physicals. The response was overwhelming and because of their generosity, approximately 120 of our students will be able to participate in our sports’ programs. These leaders are certainly “making a difference” in the lives of our students.
With all of us, parents, teachers, students and community friends working together in the best interests of these awesome young people, our future generation, we know we will succeed in having our best year yet.
