Speak Out 2/25/09

End of responsibility

MY husband and I are in our early 30s. We have recently purchased our second home. Both times we purchased well within our means, ignoring what the bankers tried to get us to do, which was buy up to our maximum and ignoring what the real estate agent wanted us to do, which was buy up to our maximum. giving her a better commission when our house closed. We bought what we knew we could afford and still put aside money for savings. Guess what our president just did? He slapped the face of both my husband and I and other Americans like us who buy within our means and who take care of our business by sacrificing. We're going to help those people who overextended themselves, who made foolish decisions. What a lesson this is for everyone: Don't be a responsible person. The government will bail you out. This is a sad day in America.

Party purge

Just for the record, it is a conservative Republican, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who said recently that nationalization of the banks is an idea that must be on the table. I agree with Senator Graham, but my main concern at this time is whether or not Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh will purge him from the party.

It's not nice ...

It makes sense. Some people have let their yards go because they have come to realize mowed, neat, tidy and trimmed yards are a manifestation of mankind's attempt to control obviously uncontrollable Mother Nature.

Payment fallacy

I always have a chuckle when someone says, "The government should pay for that." The next time you encounter that phrase, mentally replace it with "The taxpayer should pay for that, plus an additional 20 percent to make up for government inefficiencies." That will allow you to easily see the fallacy of having the government pay for everything.

Stoplights

DO we really need a stoplight at the corner of Hopper Road and Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau? It's a waste of city resources. I use the intersection often, and with the exception of a few minutes in the morning and evening, it isn't crowded at all. Even during the rush hour there is so little traffic that a light would only slow things down. It would be a shame to waste a stoplight on a lightly traversed thoroughfare.

Bad choices

I am a working taxpayer who is beyond the normal retirement age. I have never been a member of a union, collected unemployment benefits or asked the government for a handout. My wife and I live in a home that we bought and paid for. We do not drive new vehicles nor try to live beyond our means. We do have some credit-card debt, which we are getting paid off instead of buying things we do not need. I feel President Obama is rewarding those who have done just the opposite. I realize that there are some who because of sickness or circumstances beyond their control are having hard times. For them, I feel sorry. Why should my family be punished to help those who don't have a good excuse? It's time to stand up and tell the government that enough is enough. Quit mortgaging our grandchildren by rewarding those who have not made good choices.

What have you done?

IT is a sad day for our country. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stated that human rights issues will take a backseat to economic issues. While some express shock, nobody should be surprised. Both she and her husband always put money ahead of morals, and voters who supported her husband -- and more recently, Obama -- have done the same. All belief systems -- Christian Jewish, Buddhist -- state that people and groups that do good will be rewarded, but people and groups that are greedy and selfish will face punishment. I guess we know where we're headed in this country. President Obama has so far appointed criminals (tax fraud and evasion) and others who have shown a clear lack of morals and socialist tendencies. I hope every person who voted for Obama is paying attention and asking themselves what in the world they have done.

Factory jobs

I'M conflicted over the often mentioned idea that we should "buy American" and bring manufacturing jobs back home. While we would all like to support our local economies, how many people hope their children and grandchildren will one day work in factories? Every blue-collar family I know, including mine, hopes the next generation goes to college and avoids working on a manufacturing line. That said, I'm usually willing to pay a higher price for the quality and satisfaction I get from American products.

Catching cats

I was amused by the comment about "catching cats" and taking them to an animal shelter. Most cats will not let you get anywhere near them while outside unless they have familiarity with you -- and then only on their terms. If by chance you should "catch" a cat, I would bet that within five minutes you would be in your house, minus the cat, with antibiotic ointment and a box of bandages trying to figure out exactly who caught whom. Let the public know when you are going to attempt a cat catching, as I am sure many of us would love to come witness the spectacle.

Get out of the way

THE president keeps referring to the economy that he inherited. He didn't inherit this economy. He has been running for office for two years. This is what he wanted, and he got what he wanted. Now, unfortunately, he does not have the knowledge to handle the job. He is in over his head. I believe that if he would get out of the way things would work out like they normally do. The more government intervention, the bigger the problem. You can't legislate common sense.

Stimulus money

I get tired of hearing people complaining about the economy. It isn't Obama's fault that the economy is down. I don't like that my tax money is being spent on some things in the stimulus package, but with this package at least I have a chance to get some of that money back. Take responsibility, people, and vote for people who will help us rather than their political affiliation.

Brother's keeper

PRESIDENT Obama has a two-thirds job approval rating. Sixty percent support the stimulus. Yet only a little over one-quarter of us think the stimulus plan will help us. How can that be? To me, the explanation is easy. Most Americans recognize that through no fault of their own millions of fellow citizens need help during this recession and are willing to assist by following the biblical stricture that we are our brother's keeper, that no one makes it on his own and that, yes, it takes a community.