Time to get moving
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 12:34 AM PST
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E-mail this articleNov. 19 Letters to the Editor
Time to get moving
How many of you recall that the U.S. Department of Energy was established during the Carter administration in 1977 and, at the time, the primary objective was to make our country energy independent? The DOE now has more than 16,100 employees, has an annual budget of $23.4 billion and we are further from energy independence than at any other time.
To expand on Theda Williamson’s Nov. 16 letter (“Drill now”), we need to get something moving toward this goal now. If this is the kind of results we can expect from career politicians over a period of more than 30 years, we need to look at removing a lot of them from office. In the real world, these clowns would not last more than a few months. A little help from our news media to keep voters reminded of these wastes would also be helpful.
Judith Schwindt
Silver Lake
Government would ration care
John Weston answered Annette Birch’s question on why we don’t have the longest life span in the world. There are an excessive number of people here who are extremely overweight. We live in a free society where people can eat as much as and whatever they want to. That will end the more we look to the government to pay for our health care.
I was unaware health care systems were evaluated on life expectancy. If Birch or Weston wish to live in a Third World country, like Jordan or Cuba, then they should go for it. They may live longer, however, it will be time spent in misery.
I don’t recall any medical breakthrough that was ever accomplished in any of the countries listed as having a longer life span. Most all countries are using procedures and medicines developed here in our country. When the government removes the monetary incentive, medical improvements will be curtailed. Whenever a dictator needs complex medical care, they don’t go to Jordan or Canada, let alone Cuba.
Government-run health care becomes rationed health care real quick. Whatever the government has given it can take away. Barack Obama is still a socialist and government-run health care is also socialist. Obama is not a capitalist and there is no such thing as tyranny of the rich.
William Schumacher
Castle Rock
What’s wrong with this picture?
Top news item for Nov. 15: A dog was adopted. The story took up two thirds of the upper front page. Lesser news on lower front page and not so important: ”Emergency summit meeting between world leaders,” and then still trailing behind the dog was, ”Life flight coming to Longview.”
A summit meeting between two dozen world leaders takes second fiddle to a dog.
Life flight possible saving some human type lives, again of lesser interest than a dog being adopted.
Oh well, maybe next week someone’s cat may have kittens for the front page.
Harry Gilpin
Cathlamet
Make it required reading
Thank you for printing the account of Dr. Donald Fuesler’s World War II experiences (Nov. 10). This article should be included in every U.S. history teacher’s lesson plans. And it should be required reading for every high school student.
How soon we forget.
Lillian Roberts
Rainier
Consider electric cars
Several months ago California was testing 60 full-size electric cars built by American auto people. They traveled at highway speed, mileage with plug-in was excellent. But what happened? The motor companies decided they could make more money selling gas-burning cars and they were all smashed. This is all documented and pictures are available.
We need more alternatives. Obama can use all the help we can give in this regard.
Contact our senators and representatives and ask them for legislation to study electric car research. If we get out of Iraq and use the $10 billion we spend each week we are there, it won’t take long.
E.C. Chuck Robinson
Longview
Interesting letter
Interesting letter from Barbara Lancaster (Nov. 16). Seems a little boy told her granddaughter that Barack Obama doesn’t say the Pledge of Allegiance, so he didn’t have to.
Where did the boy get this piece of misinformation (Obama does say it, by the way)? Did he hear it from his parents or other adults, who spread this lie to discredit him during the election? And what about her granddaughter, who seems to think it’s a prayer, and if you say it louder, you mean it more?
Just stuff to think about, if people are willing to do that anymore.
Mark Siltala
Puyallup
Bailout pork
A funny thing happened to the $700 billion bailout on the way to the president’s desk: it died on the house floor three days later, because of 95 Democrat “nay” votes.
After Treasury Secretary Paulson literally got down on one knee before House Speaker Pelosi, the bill eventually passed the House and the Senate. There was a “tiny” change — an extra $110 billion worth of non-bailout related spending. Included in this “pork” was 1) wooden arrows designed for use by children, $2 million; 2) wool research fund, $148 million; 3) film and TV productions, $478 million; and 4) Puerto Rican and Virgin Island rum producers, $192 million, plus much more wasteful spending.
Congress has spent our tax money this way for many years. Let’s pray that President-elect Obama will be able to deliver on his promise to eliminate this wasteful spending from the national treasury.
Bill Wells
Longview
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