Speak Out 9/15/11

Safe House volunteers

I wanted to recognize all of the men and women working for the Safe House thrift store. They're helping the community in so many unselfish ways and they're being used by my God to provide in many ways more than what they know or ever will know. Good job and thank you for all the time and effort.

Pay bills now

ON the Popeye cartoon, Wimpy used to say "I'd like to have a hamburger today and I'll gladly pay for it on Wednesday." Well, the president has the same type of idea. He'd like to borrow money now and pay for it 10 years from now when he's no longer president. We can't keep doing this borrowing deal. We've got to pay our bills now.

Cost of wars

CONGRESS refuses to see that the country is staggering under the cost of wars that cannot be won and that should be terminated. No national leader has the courage to come out boldly and propose that peace be made. Instead they vote themselves two feeble attempts at financial reform.

Bike rules needed

THIS is concerning the people riding their bicycles on the streets and highways. You should abide by the same laws as cars. I would go a bit further. Take a test, get a license, have a minimum age to ride your bike on the highway, mandatory bike insurance just like car insurance, register your bike with the state, get a bike tag and a yearly bike inspection. If you're not paying any of these fees that the auto owners must pay, then stay off my highway. Oh, by the way, you also need to pay personal property tax on your bike and maybe a city license, too.

Charen column

COLUMNIST Mona Charen recently raised the question as to whether Rick Perry blew it when he described Social Security as a Ponzi scheme. A Ponzi scheme is a criminal undertaking with the intent to defraud. So did Rick Perry blow it when he described Social Security as such? In a word, yes. It reveals his underlying contempt for Social Security and his irresistible urge to destroy it.