Letters from Readers - 2010
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March 8, 2010 Thanks, legislators Five years ago, I wrote several letters and sent e-mails to District 3 Rep. Mike Rogers and Sen. Richard Shelby. I asked them why they kept voting for free trade agreements. They both sent a letter back to me stating "free trade is great for America!" Over and over I kept writing, asking them to reconsider all the free trade agreements. Why are they now going around the state acting like they never voted to give our jobs away? These tactics are exactly why Americans are sick of Washington politics. America started to fall the day these elected representatives, and others, voted for free trade. Have you seen anything with a label "made in America" lately? Thank these legislators for the vote they made for free trade. If they really feel bad about our factories and economy, why don't they vote to put a tax on all industries in America who do business overseas? I am not a Republican or a Democrat. I just vote for the person I feel will do the best job. I am beginning to think that no one in Washington meets the qualifications I am looking for. It is sad that Rep. Rogers, Sen. Shelby and others couldn't see the handwriting on the wall when I wrote them so long ago. So much for politicians who listen to their constituents. Rebecca Wynn Centre March 1, 2010 Riding the conservative wave Some candidates running for office are trying to ride the “conservative wave.” As a responsible citizen I have taken it upon myself to examine the candidates the same way an employer would a job applicant. I wanted to know their history and what kind of experience they bring to the job. Most importantly, I wanted to understand the content of their character, their values and beliefs. In short, do their words match their life story? In my research I uncovered information on former Democrat Bradley Byrne, currently a Republican candidate for governor, who was interviewed by The Post for a story on the front page of its Feb. 22 issue. Byrne, a Mobile native, was the Republican senator for District 32 from 2003-07, during which he co-sponsored Senate Bill 354, which proposed raising school property taxes to 30 mils. If bill had become law it would have raised some county taxes by nearly 400 percent. He also supported Gov. Bob Riley's Amendment One $1.2 billion tax increase in 2003, and voted and campaigned for the largest tax hike in state history. Passage of Amendment One would have resulted in the following tax increases: income on individuals and corporations, property, sales, cigarettes, utilities, mortgage and deed recordings, banks, and health insurance premiums. As chancellor of the two-year college system from 2007-09, Byrne automatically received a seat on the PACT board of trustees. He attended the first quarterly meeting then skipped the next five over two years as the program collapsed. In 2004, Byrne also voted “present” (did not take a stance) on two bills, one a gambling bill backed by Milton McGregor and another that would have allowed the Ten Commandments to be displayed on state property. Now is the time for conservatives and patriots to wake up. Do your research! It is far too early to claim a conservative victory. Now is the time to carefully choose our candidates and build an agenda for the future of Alabama by electing conservatives, patriots and constitutionalists. Bradley Byrne claims to be conservative, but his voting record says otherwise. Deanna Frankowski Leeds Feb. 22, 2010 Keep writing I have commented on The Wright Angle on a few previous occasions and continue to be pleased with your honesty and willingness to call shots as they are. I too am a liberal-leaning Democrat, but am outraged by the corruption and lack of morals exhibited by many in both parties. I could appreciate the Tea Baggers except that they are nothing but the fanatical right wing of the Republican Party, which is to blame for most of our current problems. Choosing failed leaders like Sarah Palin to speak at their events makes for head scratching. I encounter the fanatics of the Right often at the gym where I work out. They are good at yelling but can't debate the issues very well. They can spout the GOP and right-wing talking lines, but nothing beyond that. They get frustrated when one pours their "Kool-Aid" down the drain with a few facts that they can't refute. After calling you a socialist and a Muslim, they are at a loss to discuss anything. On the other hand, they are good at referring to their "Christianity" – as if religion somehow trumps logic, reason, and common sense. I wonder about your take on Dick Cheney. He seems to be obsessing over terrorism and trying to distract the current efforts of President Obama to govern. I think the guy is actually mentally lacking. At least Bush is not running his mouth all the time and trying to create his on reality. Have a good evening. Please write on local and national matters more often, and keep critical issues on the pages of The Post. Lots of locals won't like it, but that just shows that they are listening and, just maybe, will take note of the truth. Many others will agree with you. Jesse Bookhardt Feb. 15, 2010 Fire fighting friends Every day we go about our normal routines not really knowing what is going to happen from one minute to the next. Most of us generally have a plan of things to do and places to go. However things can change in an instant. One day last month, about 7:15 p.m., our neighbor Melvin Randle – whom we have never even met – came banging on our door screaming to get out. My wife and son were home at the time. My son dialed 9-1-1 to report the fire, and in less than 12 minutes we had three local departments in my driveway: Cedar Bluff, Centre, and Spring Creek. Fortunately for us the fire was all contained outside, to the electrical panel. This really could have been devastating. But the dedication of the volunteer firefighters, who serve us without question, should give us all peace of mind. VFDs are located in so many parts of the county, and getting to the scene within minutes can make the difference, as my family and I learned. (My firefighter neighbor, Robbie Moon, just two houses down, was there in about a minute or so.) Because our volunteers are also our neighbors, family, and friends, I feel confident that whatever happens, our home will be in capable hands. After all, what are friends for? So, the next time you see a road block manned by volunteer firefighters, give them what you can; the next time a fire department wants to sell you Boston butts, chicken plates, or whatever, help them. Remember, they are our friends. Ronnie Rogers Centre Feb. 8, 2010 Good job I would like to publicly thank the Cherokee County Parks and Recreation Board for reinstalling the signs on Highway 9 directing people to the Cornwall Furnace National Historic Site. This is one of the county's most valued treasures and I am glad to see the markers back. Good job! Phoebe Woodward Cedar Bluff Obfuscation I have often wondered what the Lord wants me to do to help make the world a better place. One thing I've thought is that maybe God wants me to tell somebody what obfuscation of the language means to the present generation. Alan Greenspan boasted that he had used “obfuscation of the language” purposefully to make congressmen who asked him questions about the FED think that their questions had been answered. But he didn't tell them where he got the idea. Well, let me clue you in: Genesis 3:1. “Now the serpent was more subtle than any of the beasts of the field.” The words “politician” and “subtle” are very telling, too. Compatible, you might say. Check out the Trojan Horse United Nations! Some people can interpret the speeches of the president and other politicians easily. Other people are too naive to get it. Some people don't know and don't care, proving their hardcore ignorance. People come in all kinds. Martha V. Pearson Centre Feb. 1, 2010 'Avatar' = Despicable I recently saw the film “Avatar.” in 3-D. The first half was very beautiful: tall, blue people living in an iridescent forest, completely in tune with nature. There's a glistening willow tree where they hear the voices of their ancestors, reminiscent of Disney's “Pocahontas.” Their spiritual leader is a Shaman woman who reminded me of the witch doctor in “The Lion King” as well as the prayer rituals to the god which was, of course, a “she”. Being a Christian, I didn't like that, but after all it's just a movie, purely fictional. Right? And yet I was very offended by the way our military was depicted as the enemy to all that is right and good. Sure, it's a futuristic, made-up scenario, but the words “shock and awe” and “war on terror” coming in the movie from our “evil” general seemed a direct slur from James Cameron against our armed forces. It was evident to me he was making a parallel between our military actions in the Middle East and what was happening in the movie to the innocent, blue people and their lovely planet. The gist of the story was they had a natural resource underground that we needed, and we would destroy them to get it. Sound familiar? Like the theory of those who believe we went to war for oil instead of because we were attacked on 9-11. We have oil, and we can get more. But we can't get back those who were killed, or the Twin Towers, or the peace and safety we felt prior to that day. That is why we went to war. It started out a silly movie, but ended up bashing our military. The whole world will see it and young people will form opinions that are anti-American due to this tree-hugging movie. That is despicable to me. S.J. Meyer Cedar Bluff Jan. 25, 2010 Time to retire Over the past several months I have been struggling with a decision about whether to run for re-election to the Alabama Senate or retire from public office. For 35 years the people of Randolph County and most recently Senate District 13 have honored me with the opportunity to make public service my career and passion. My priority over these years has been to be accessible to the people, accountable for taxpayer dollars and supportive of efforts to improve our state. Even though I have only served four years in the Alabama Senate, I was given the great opportunity to chair the important Senate Agriculture Committee, the newly-created Joint Task Force on Water, and serve as a member of the Energy Council. In all of these roles, I have worked hard to study the issues, listen to the voters as well as industry experts, and support policies that will move our state forward well into the 21st century. At the same time I have not been able to have the time necessary to serve and fully enjoy the many blessings of being a proud grandmother. Because my daughter and her family live in Georgia it is my decision to be able to spend more time with them during these important years of their lives. Therefore I am announcing that I will not be a candidate for re-election to Senate District 13 and will retire from public office. I will continue to be active in our area and the state, and it is my hope that the next senator for our district will continue my commitment to staying in touch with the voters and being accessible to assist with their needs. I want to thank my fellow Alabamians for their support and vote over the years. This has been a difficult decision for me in many ways, but one that has been easy when I look into the beautiful faces of my grandchildren. Sen. Kim Benefield Woodland Jan. 18, 2010 Is another position the answer? Probate Judge Melvin Salter recently made known his intentions to ask the Cherokee County Commission to pass a resolution asking the local legislative delegation to change the law and separate the office of probate judge and County Commission chair. Salter said he “considered this proposal before he assumed office and after he assumed office,” but to my knowledge, this is the first time any mention has been made to the public. Salter also said, “As far as I'm concerned, it is in the best interest of the county.” I wonder if it is the county's best interest he's considering, or his own? Under Alabama law, any person 70 or older cannot assume a judicial position, including probate judge. Thus, Salter will be unable to run for reelection. So, does this really mean Salter is interested in creating a position for himself and intends to run for chairman of the Commission? Of course, if this is not true, he can make public that he will not seek the office of chairman of the County Commission if creation of the separate office should be approved by the voters. Salter also said, “One person cannot do justice to either one of these jobs.” Does anyone other than me feel this is an admission on his part that he can't do the job he's being paid to do? I have some questions. If the job split is approved, will the positions be separated immediately, or will Salter continue to do both jobs until the end of his term? If it's such a good idea, shouldn't it be done immediately? Hasn't he already admitted he can't do both jobs? Will the position of Commission chair be full-time of part-time? What will be the cost to taxpayers in the way of salary and benefits of the Commission chair position? I wonder if the members of the Cherokee County Commission have given any consideration to separating the two jobs and allowing the Commission chair to rotate between the four commissioners. This seems to be the trend among other counties in Alabama. It seems to me that in these times of recession, declining revenue, and juggling acts to balance budgets, creating another elected official position for taxpayers to fund is not the proper thing to do. Gary Laney Centre Jan. 11, 2010 Speaking for Buck About two and a half years ago, a long-legged, spotted little thing came into our life. His mother had been killed, and he had nowhere to go. So we bought him a bottle and fed him, and the more he was with us, the more he was loved. I know we have deer season. I know we have to have controlled animal population. I know all these things. But I also know sometimes if we let our heart speak instead of rules, our world would be a lot better off. On December 29, the day started out as usual. Blessed with a beautiful morning, Buck was up waiting on bananas, as usual. That was his favorite fruit. You always got lots of kisses when you brought bananas. That morning, he had two hunters come and visit him. They would bring him fruit and get their picture made with him. Children loved to come and see him. Then, in a matter of three hours, everything changed. A game warden drove up and said he had received a phone call that we had a deer. He said that I couldn't keep him. I asked what I had to do to get a permit. He said I couldn't have one. I was willing to do anything to keep Buck safe. I didn't understand the laws on things like this, but I am learning. In less than three hours, a beautiful eight-point buck with the biggest brown eyes you have ever seen was shot and killed while he laid under his shed thinking he was safe. Help us, God, to see that everything is not always black or white. Sometimes there is a middle ground, the one where we let our heart lead. Thank you, God, for the time you let me spend with one of your creations. Judy Mobley Ellisville community Jan. 4, 2010 Helpful Walmart We would like to extend our appreciation to our locale Walmart for their years of continued help and compassion for the animals we house here. Without their help, along with the Shell Mart and local residents we would not be able to help others. We are open to receive those that have to perform community services and we continue to receive those from Georgia, which has to perform community services, which is mainly those that have an addiction to drugs and alcohol. We receive no local, state of federal assistance and our work force is my wife and me. If not for the help we have received it would be impossible to continue. Walmart provides food for nourishment, clothes for all family members, home supplies and automotive supplies. If there are items that are not found in Walmart you only have to ask a friendly associate which will be more than happy to assist you in your needs. Walmart is a people business and compassionate and understanding to needs. Let's not forget those local Walmarts would not be local without a home office and their staffs well. Thanks to Mike Duke, CEO and President, and Joey Huerta and his staff. Together, we can prove that working together works! Harrell Whitener The AnimalZone |
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