Speak Out 5/25/10

Playing by the rules

MY son has cheated on every test he took this year as well as on all his homework. The school found out about it and can prove it, and I know the school is right. So what is the solution? Should he be allowed to keep all his A's and go on as if nothing ever happened? If your answer is "no" and if you believe he should get F's for cheating and have to retake the classes, I agree with you. My son should not benefit from breaking the rules. Now apply that same logic to any other crime or breaking of a rule. I think you'll agree that the cheater or criminal should not benefit from his actions. Take it one step further and apply that to the illegal immigrants in our country. If you feel my hypothetical son should get F's and retake the classes, then the immigrants should not receive amnesty. It's as simple as that.

Balance the budget

A very small amount of research shows that in fiscal year 2010 our federal government is going to spend about $3.7 trillion on an income of about $2.15 trillion. This is the worst federal deficit ever. We have a federal debt of about $14.5 trillion. If anything else happened to spook investors, the interest rate on debt could go back to 10 percent like in the days of Jimmy Carter. Any elementary math student can see that this will not work. We will be spending over half of our income on interest. We need to balance the federal budget.

Obeying the limit

WHAT about motorists who get ticked about someone who obeys the speed limit? I've been passed by someone using the center turn lanes on Independence Street who then cut me off to get into the right turn lane on Kingshighway.

Police opposition

I voted for Harry Rediger for mayor and am disappointed with his response regarding the policemen who are not supporting the road tax. He says he doesn't know where this is coming from and thinks the officers should rethink their stance. It's coming from the fact that they were lied to and that they were used to sell the public on a tax increase. They did not get the raises they and the voting public were told they would get. Why should they rethink their stance? They are asking for honesty and integrity in their city government, their employer. I don't think that's too much to ask for. I am not a police officer, am related to none of them and don't even know any of them. But I'm behind them 100 percent. We could afford a water park and all those employees, but we're not keeping promises to others who were already on the payroll. That's unethical, Mr. Rediger. Do the honorable thing.

Too close

I was riding my motorcycle on Bloomfield Road and a car came up behind me and was less than 5 feet from me. I kept waving the driver back, tapping my brakes to let her know she was too close, but she would not fall back. I sped up to 40 mph in a 20-mph zone, and she stayed right on my tail. Does she not realize she put me and my passenger in danger? Please do not follow closely behind a motorcyclist.