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September 7, 2010

Readers' Forum: Sept. 7 , 2010

Anonymous The Tribune-Star The Tribune Star Tue Sep 07, 2010, 05:00 AM EDT

TERRE HAUTE — No weaklings for small government

In recent weeks, thousands of people have become ill after consuming tainted eggs. These must be a pretty puny bunch if you ask me, to just up and get sick like that. There’s no place in America for weaklings.

The problem with Sam and Ella’s Usual Suspect Egg Farm  and Over-the-Counter Dispensary/Diner is that Sam and Ella’s has suffered way too much burdensome government interference and regulation. (Isn’t that right, tea party people?) When asked what their policy was for dealing with bad eggs, Sam replied, “I don’t recall. Ever.”

No recalls. Got it.

One disturbing aspect of our rolling economic downturn has been the laying off of too many already-in-short-supply government hawkeyes, the food inspectors, health and safety regulators, those charged with the oversight of agriculture and industry.

This decline in government oversight is one further example of bad behavior being rewarded. Those who brought on the current economic crisis are ending up getting what they wanted all along. Smaller government. Less oversight. A free hand for the free-range sharks and a rancid scrap of wire-cage chicken in most everybody else’s pot. Nothing to crow about.

The salmonella outbreak is barely a first telling glimpse of the vision of the future role of a gutted and diminished government which our tea party friends foresee for America. Just what scenarios might a future of smaller government foreshadow? Imagine more frequent outbreaks of food poisoning, good jobs plucking chickens for 20 cents an hour, an increase in industrial, chemical and mining mishaps and an uptick in environmental damages, surges in on-the-job injuries, declining product quality, reliability and safety. (Such an outlook may be a tad bleak, but you get the picture.)

Tea party salesmen will love the updated advertising standards and lack of enforcement. Their new slogan? “Who’d a’ thunk we could sell more junk?”

With a smaller role for government in the regulation of agriculture, more widespread incidents of people ingesting foul eggs is a grim hatchling already astir in Pandora’s incubator.

I’ll bet those woozy liberals are going to be getting all mush-kneed queasy on us again. But I see no reason to raise a big stink over someone making a small deposit at the local vomitorium nor to get one’s feathers all ruffed up about the occasional death by food contamination. (As long as it isn’t you or me, my friend, who’s suffering.) This is where your new health care plan could really come in handy.

By the way, if you ever make it over to Sam and Ella’s, be sure to try the funky-ham omelet. So good!

Let’s just hope the government gets to feeling better soon.

— Clay Wilkinson

Terre Haute



Pleased to see ‘transparency’

Indiana No Longer Receives an F for Transparency

Several months ago, U.S. PIRG released a report, “Following the Money,” which rated the transparency of spending in the 50 states. At that time, Hoosiers were left in the dark because Indiana lacked a transparency website, leaving the state with a grade of “F.”

We were pleased to see the recent article, “State auditor touts ‘transparency website,’” describing how state Auditor Tim Berry took the initiative to create more transparency in Indiana. By establishing an online portal where citizens can monitor state contracts, Hoosiers will gain insight and oversight of the workings of their government.

Transparency is important because it holds our elected officials accountable, provides incentives and competition for contractors to deliver results, prevents corruption, and can provide huge savings. Perhaps most important, it engages citizens. For all of these reasons, we look forward to future improvements brought about by the Indiana website.

— Jeffrey Musto

Tax and Budget Associate

U.S. Public Interest

Research Group

Somerville, Mass.



Great care from Meadows Manor

I would like to thank Meadows Manor East for taking their time in caring for me like they did during my illness.

If it was not for the nurses, aids and therapy group, I would not be walking today. Two people I would like to give a special thanks to for getting me up and ready for the day are Ebbony Doyle and Etoria Whiteside.

— Roy Patterson

Terre Haute

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