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Hernando Today

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 6, 2008

Get The Point?

I am a Republican, and very conservative. In fact, I'm even more on the right than Rush Limbaugh!

Having said that, I am writing this letter to implore people to vote for Barack Obama and all Democratic candidates in this November's elections.

My reasoning for this is that the Republicans are solely responsible for all of our country's and the world's problems. They solely started and voted for the Iraqi war, the economic and unemployment problems are solely their doing, high gas prices were only caused by them, the current housing crisis can be placed solely on their doorstep, and world terrorism was started by the Republicans. We would all have great health care insurance if it wasn't for the Republicans and, of course, we would never have global warming without them!

The following is my evidence to prove these points:

Only Republicans voted for the Iraqi war - oh no, wait a minute, that's not true.

OK, to solve the high gas prices, the Republicans are blocking drilling in the ANWAR province and offshore. They even adjourned Congress before trying to fix this problem. No, hold on, that was the Democrats.

Wait, I have it. The Republicans voted against "the surge" in Iraq, and were adamant it wouldn't work. No, wrong again, that was Barack Obama and the Democrats. The Republicans want to place high taxes on big business, thus stopping them from expanding our economy and creating jobs.

Oops, the Democrats again, sorry.

My argument for voting for Barack Obama is very simple, too. We all know so much about him. He's been a U.S. senator for over 20 years and has a great record in working with both sides of the Senate. Wait, that's John McCain. We also know so much about Obama's background, don't we? He spent all his formative years in the U.S. and U.S schools. Oh no wait, he didn't, did he?

Wait, I know! And this is the best reason yet: Obama's family has a long history of serving in the U.S. military, as does Mr. Obama himself.

He joined the military to serve his beloved country. He served through a terrible war, was shot down and spent years being tortured in an enemy POW camp. In these uncertain times of global terrorism, I would want that kind of person to be our country's commander-in-chief.

Did I get this wrong again? Yep, it was John McCain who did those things.

My final reason for you to vote for Barack Obama would be that he comes so highly endorsed by so many Hollywood celebrities! And God knows they have their houses in order, their priorities straight, their morals aligned enough that they can tell us who to vote for!

Let me just say, in case some people don't know this already - I'm being sarcastic. My point is ... well, I hope you get the point!

Russ Colombo

Spring Hill

Putting Down Dems

Re: "When Did Life Lose Its Value?" by Cal Thomas in the Aug. 2 edition of Hernando Today.

Mr. Thomas had me agreeing with his article until he said that giving the death pill to a dying patient rather than an expensive cure is something that Hillary Clinton and that closet Muslim, Barack Obama, wish to impose on us. He totally lost me on that one. I never heard either one of them say that, just like I've never heard Hillary Clinton say that health care would be paid by all, even if it meant garnishing the wages of those who don't like it. I heard that from an article as well.

If the situation of the uninsured 53-year-old Randy Stroup happens, I will blame President George W. Bush because he didn't just say no! By giving his office unprecedented power with very little oversight, he can veto any notion. What scares me is that he's opened the door for any and all future presidents to play God as they see fit. It's so bad right now that I wouldn't trust any political party in the White House at this point.

Mr. Thomas ought to try writing an article without pointing fingers sometime. They will go much further than this one and might actually make him look good for a change. Oh yeah, right, he's a Republican that must put down Democrats at every turn. I knew there was a reason I didn't like him.

Jane Kukla

Spring Hill

Enough Is Enough

Re: Dredge project.

Once again the demands of a few dictate the needs of many. I find it very unfortunate that the long-awaited Hernando Beach dredge project is once again in jeopardy of being delayed or even canceled due to the complaints of about 31 property and home owners.

I find it even more disturbing that this minority of individuals waited until the last minute to file their complaints manipulating the system to prolong the delays. There are hundreds of other homeowners and property owners who want and need this project to go forward. Add to that the other nonresidents who use our waterways weekly, and you will find thousands of people who want this dredging to take place now.

It is selfish and unfair for the majority to be forced to deal with dangerous boating conditions while a small group of individuals tries to "pull the plug" on a needed and wanted navigational improvement.

If this small group of individuals is allowed to stop this project, I personally feel that they should be held liable for damages and or injuries caused by the shallow channels that are used daily by commercial and recreational boaters.

It is time for the majority to speak up and be heard. Enough is enough!

Philip Joyce

Hernando Beach

Social Security:

Political Kabuki Dancing

Remember when paychecks survived the entire week with something left over? Of course, that was before the economic Pac-Man showed up in the form of $4 gas, $150 weekly grocery bills and $200 a month utility charges. Sad to say, there is even a greater threat to weekly paychecks on the economic horizon. I speak of the stealth economic goliath, known as Social Security; the 70-year-old piece of political work whose economic arms have embraced retiring generations, while enslaving working generations.

During the past 25 years, Social Security's economic assault on working Americans' paychecks has grown substantially. A 1980 retiree contributed an average of 5.15 percent of their gross annual wages to the Social Security trust fund, 1990 retirees 7.29 percent, 2000 retirees 9.47 percent and today's workers contribute 12.4 percent up to a maximum of $12,648 annually.

As a result of the 1983 reform legislation, the Social Security trust fund has received billions more in tax revenues than needed. Excess contributions were supposed to be saved and invested for the now retiring 78 million baby boomers; quite the opposite has happened. Politicians have siphoned off and spent all trust fund surpluses on something other than intended; the money is gone, but that's only part of the story!

Unlike a bank thief who would call it a day, politicians created a deceitful monetary weapon called special obligation bonds or SOBs. For every Social Security trust fund dollar they steal, they issue a non-marketable SOB, or IOU of the same value, begin charging interest and obligate our children and grandchildren to pay again. In 1980, politicians had created $26 billion in Social Security trust fund IOUs. In 1990 the total was $225 billion, in 2000 $1.49 trillion and today IOUs are approaching $2.3 trillion, growing at the rate of over $9,000 a second. In 2007 alone more than $186 billion in new IOUs were created.

Social Security has an immense good, but has morphed into a stealth weapon of monetary destruction (WMD) and it's pointed straight at the financial heart of working America. Our collective "vigil of silence" has made us unwitting partners in prearranging the financial suicide of our children and grandchildren. For the past 25-plus years, we have been witnesses to the greatest political kabuki dance of all time.Collectively, politicians have violated our trust, destroyed our trust fund and put America's economic future at great risk. It's time to break the vigil of silence and elect politicians who are Americans first, rather than Americans who are politicians first. You can contact the author at: jg@americaretoday.com.

Jim Gries

Weeki Wachee

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