Speak Out 2/17/09

Not deceptive

I was listening the day Rush Limbaugh made the statement that he hopes President Obama's administration fails. He said it more than once. The clips Diane Sawyer played weren't deceptive.

Price gouging

HELP me to understand this. When gas prices go up to ridiculous prices, it is called price gouging. But when roses go up to ridiculous prices around Valentine's Day, it's not price gouging.

Articulate president

IT was so refreshing during President Obama's press conference to listen to a president who can articulate answers to questions. Once again, I can be proud of the office of the president of the United States.

Give us the money

HOW many people really think this stimulus plan is going to work? We had a stimulus plan under President Bush, and the banks' greed set in instead of their common sense. If you want to help the American people, give them some money. Help them buy out of some of the problems they've gotten into. We've tried helping the banks, we've tried helping big corporations. What did they do with the money? They wasted it foolishly.

Shelter dog

WOULDN'T it be wonderful if President Obama and his family made a trip to their local animal shelter to pick out their dog for their pet? What a bright day for shelter dogs everywhere. Hope abounds still.

Kids in the street

THERE is an ongoing problem in our city of parents who let small children play in the street. I live in what's considered a nice, new subdivision made up mostly of professionals and business owners. Children who are 5 and 6 and ride scooters and skateboards. Children as young as 3 are allowed to ride small electric cars. They are all over the road while their parents stand in the driveway and yell at people who drive by to slow down. The kids get the idea that the road is for them to play in and cars are in their way. Play in the backyard or go to the park or a field. Keep your kids out of the street. Drivers are supposed to be there, not the kids.

Fitting numbers

THERE'S a neat thing about statistics: The numbers might be accurate, but they don't generally indicate the possible causes for them. For example, a statistical number showing a high unemployment or interest rate for any given year doesn't necessarily point out what might have happened in the years prior to the targeted period that led up to that particular statistical number. One of the basic things students learn in a statistics class is how simple it is to take genuine numbers and make them fit into the conclusion they are aiming for.

Us versus them

"NIXONLAND" was one of the best non-fiction books of 2008. It chronicles the story of how Richard Nixon brought an "us versus them" mentality to American politics. Recent political developments prove that Nixon's legacy lives.

Great service

POSTAL employees: I would like to thank you for the great service during the recent inclement weather. Also, I want six-day delivery to continue. I look forward to my mail every day.

Managing money

I watched the congressional hearings with executives of the banking industry and policymakers at the Fed. The hypocritical congressmen (both Republicans and Democrats) berated these CEOs for their bad financial management. While I agree that the CEOs ran their businesses poorly in most cases, many of the problems can be traced back to decisions that Congress made and forced upon them. They are the ones who mandated loans be made to people who were poor loan risks. I find it ironic that Congress could advise anyone on fiscal responsibility. Our elected legislators are the worst money managers of all times.

Financial decisions

MY wife and I looked at a bigger, better house a few years ago but decided it was overpriced and would be too much debt for us to handle. We believe that when you sign a contract you are responsible for the terms of that contract, including all of the fine print. Now we learn that there are plans to bail out people who didn't make wise decisions when they bought houses they could not afford. Again, the government is rewarding people for bad decisions and punishing those of us who live within our means. If you pay your mortgage on time, you should be outraged at all of our money the government is giving away right now.

Retired teachers

THE Southeast Missourian's editorial attempt to reassure retired public school teachers that their retirement was safe was not reassuring. As evidence, the executive director recently sent an e-mail to members of the Missouri Retired Teachers Association with a warning about a $9 billion loss to the system as well as an expression of a sound view that the only remedies would be: 1. Increased return on investments (good luck with that), 2. double the contribution to the retirement system from those currently teaching (since Missouri public school teachers rank No. 45 in the nation in salary, a raise to over a 40 percent contribution seems out of the question), or 3. restore stability to the system on the backs of retirees by freezing or reducing benefits To me, No. 3 seems the most politically viable option, much to the detriment of Missouri's current public school teaching retirees.

Japan's example

BECAUSE of Republican recalcitrance, the stimulus bill may be far short of what is needed to pull us out of this economic meltdown. We should have learned from Japan's experience and, among other things, nationalized the banking system.

Baseball excess

MAKE the corporate CEOs who have received enormous bonus packages repay them to their companies, and I'll bet the companies will be in better-than-ever shape. It is shameful what goes on that the average taxpayer knows nothing about. The same would hold true for Major League Baseball players. Make each and every one have his salary reduced to $1 million and make him earn bonus points each season: so much for a home run, so much for each base scored, a deduction for a strike out, so much for a stolen base. Perhaps then the average citizen could afford to go to the ballpark with his family. Baseball players are not worth what they are being paid. They should be ashamed for their exorbitant pay and demands.

Send it back

THAT'LL show 'em. I urge all to follow the suggestion of Missouri's Republican speaker of the House and send back any and all stimulus money that our Show Me State's Republican-controlled congressional districts may receive. After all, Republicans pride themselves on being honest, and it would be blatant hypocrisy to accept federal money if their congressional district's representative voted against it.

Hitler comparisons

I'M always amused when someone makes a comparison between the policies of a current politician and those of Adolf Hitler. If a leader supports an increase in spending on public education, his or her critics might say, "Hitler did the same thing." Let's get real. Hitler earned his notoriety by committing horrible and inhumane acts while steering a historically powerful country. That he built highways during his reign doesn't absolve him of his heinousness, but it's clear he made a lot of otherwise non-controversial decisions while running Germany. It's silly to suggest that someone who wants to build a highway today is like Hitler.