Letters
Letters to the editor, Jan. 27
TBO.com
Published: January 27, 2012
Democrats speak up nowPublished: January 27, 2012
It may be that Hernando Today has a conservative Republican editorial bias, but that should not prevent Democrats who believe in their party and its place in our society from writing as eloquently, frequently and at the same length as conservative Republicans.
Both editorial columnists and letter writers get their Republican rants published no matter how long or repetitious it is.
Are we Democrats too timid, too complacent or too lazy to write? Oh, I'm sure the Republicans could say something like "Well of course the Democrats don't write about their President or their positions because they don't have anything good to report!"
Nonsense! Why should five or six prolific writers get all the ink? Aren't there any Democrats out there who can write? Are we so complacent that we think Mr. Obama can just sail through because incumbents, especially at the presidential level, rarely lose?
I got news: Even if Mr. Obama had white skin, blonde hair and blue eyes; if his place of birth had never been questioned as falsely as it still is in some minds; and if both his foreign and domestic policies and actions had not been open to controversy and debate he could still lose. So it has been, so it will always be.
The point is that he is the president, he's the one who has to wrestle with problems of unimaginable consequence every day, and the current opposition has but one objective: destroy him.
For better of worse this writer steadfastly believes our way is still the best. We have a two party system with three branches of government. The party winning an election doesn't get to execute the losing party officials. Let's hear from someone besides the conservative Republican ranters. Democrats, do you hear me?
G.B. Leatherwood
Spring Hill
Wrong then, wronger now
I visited the local theater the other day and saw a movie telling the story of the Red Tails. The commander was Ben Davis. I understand that Mr. Davis endured 4 years of no communication during his time at West Point.
His unit was passed over for racial reasons. During the movie I thought of our government today. Today our military understands we all bleed red. But I remember just the other day our Congress and the Speaker of the House denying our president for the first time in history the ability to speak to Congress because of a football game.
For us moderates, none of us likes a bully.
Dennis Atwood
Brooksville
Giving thanks
As Commander of VFW Post 10209, I would like to personally thank everyone who attended, entertained and volunteered during our Jan. 21 fundraiser to help offset the additional expenses after the theft of our air conditioning units.
Many thanks go out to Clay and Shelia Kirk along with their Variety Group of entertainers. We could not have pulled this off without your entertainment. Thanks go out to U.S. Rep. Rich Nugent, Sheriff Al Nienhuis and family, Commissioner John Druzbick and family for your attendance as well, it means so very much to our members to know that those that represent our community, share in supporting our VFW.
It is wonderful to see such community support in a tough economy. Once again, let me say thank you!
Lou Lessner
Spring Hill
Preserving wealth
On Dec. 21, guest columnist Kenneth L. Russell claimed to have the solution to our economic problem, but I question his logic.
He said that "idle money in the stock market, in bank accounts, or even in one's pocket is not serving its real purpose." I would say that as long as the owners are content with those uses as a store of value or investment, then it is serving its purpose.
He then claims that "money is a public utility" that "must be managed like any other public utility, not as something that citizens own for their own private use."
Sorry, Ken. If I trade my labor or assets for money, I expect to have the same ownership control of that money as the labor or assets I owned. If not, I will trade or barter for assets that are a better store of value, that I can control, not government.
Ken says he wants jobs for all citizens through infrastructure projects, but does not say where the money will come from to pay for those jobs, other than through taxes or simply creating more money.
Creating money from nothing does not produce the wealth to pay for those jobs. Instead it eventually devalues existing dollars by bidding up prices, forcing all who hold dollars to pay through higher average prices. That's why money creation that does not represent real wealth is a form of theft.
Ken said that "all power lines coast to coast must be put underground," but did not mention the high cost of trenching, manufacturing, insulating and waterproofing for massive high voltage power lines.
Should power company customers pay for all that? Or does he want to pay with taxes, or more created money? The wealth that would be consumed by his projects would be taken from the citizens one way or another, just as it is taken for our expanding military empire, and unnecessary or wasteful government programs, subsidies and regulations. This makes us poorer, causing more business failures and bankruptcies, preventing a real economic recovery.
Does it bother anyone else that Dr. Kenneth L. Russell is a Professor of Education, Emeritus, at Sam Houston State University? I think his students will need a better kind of logic to build and preserve wealth.
Pat Miketinac
Brooksville