A thought about last week’s letters
Ms. Meyer’s diatribe against the sitting Democratic president, the decline of the Middle Class, and the lack of convenient public transportation is senseless.
Ms. Meyer fails to realize is that if a Republican were president, she would not need a bus for medical appointments during the week . . . with Republican’s offering you Mr. Pettyjohn’s “hand up,” they would push you towards medical self-sufficiency by reducing/eliminating your Medicare, and eliminating public transportation.
Government should not be in the transportation, nor church shuttle business, since it would be perceived as part of “Big Government,” with its hands in everything.
A second dose of Republican helping hand would occur when Republicans trim Social Security cost of living adjustments.
Being fair, I did picture a hand up from the Republicans: The Farm Bill pays farmers my tax money so they don’t have to work planting crops; it is called an incentive.
Mr. Pettyjohn failed to back his statement with examples of Republican hand up, but I can only think of Republican hand out.
Republicans looking out for Average Joe? Why are those Republican presidential hopefuls sucking up to the Koch Brothers, or Sheldon Adelson? You believe that those multi-billionaire Republicans underwriting these presidential hopefuls have YOU and your concerns in mind with the hundreds of millions of dollars they are going to shovel into the next campaign.
The party of higher moral standard congregated en masse in Las Vegas, to beg for gambling profits to have themselves elected to office? Reminds me of some farm animals I used to feed at the trough. P.T. Barnum’s famous quote applies here.
Douglas Terry
Silverdale
A view on last week’s cartoon
It is ironic the April 18 edition includes a political cartoon citing “capitalism” as cause for a shrinking middle class and a primary editorial touting Earth Day. Your business exists because of capitalism and you have presented a clear misrepresentation of the economic process. To link Capitalism as “bad” with Earth Day as “good” is even more curious. Remember that 200-plus years of capitalism have made America the strongest, most free nation in the world and created a strong middle class. The editorial identifies Rachel Carson (Silent Spring) contribution to the environmental movement. You fail to note none of her “predications” actually occurred. You note creation of the EPA, suggesting that EPA has effectively curtailed the environmental ills of the nation. Where is the proof? Consider that our state refuses to classify hydroelectric power a renewable resource, heavily subsidizes “green’ energy systems that cannot begin to satisfy our energy needs, and implements ever more restrictive regulation on land use, direct results of EPA actions, all having great negative economic impact.
If the apparent primary pollutant of our waters is municipal sewage systems why eliminate properly functioning septic systems to reduce pollution?
Why are trees that made life and economic growth possible in this nation now so sacred that government permission is required to cut one down? What will it take to accept, as fact, that current “global warming” ended in the early 1990’s or that atmospheric CO2 increase is a natural occurrence after warming period? Has our society so degenerated that we are willing to forsake the betterment of people for the false religion of a “sustainable Mother Earth?”
Jack Hamilton
Silverdale
In response to Sheldon’s letter
I was surprised to read Mick Sheldon’s comment in his recent letter to the editor, “Free speech and campaign funding”, stating that U.S. Rep. Kilmer came out “against free speech”.
In fact, Kilmer co-sponsored the Government by the People Act, which would reduce the undue influence of wealthy donors to political campaigns by matching contributions of up to $150 to participating candidates.
Kilmer also cosponsored the Disclose Act which would improve transparency and enforce disclosure on interests that attempt to influence election results. In Washington D.C., Rep. Kilmer meets regularly over breakfast with a group of Republicans and Democrats in the House. They are known as “The Bipartisan Working Breakfast Group”.
If there ever was an effective politician supporting the voice of the common man or woman, Kilmer is it. I was in attendance at the Citizens United forum at Olympic College last month.
Rep. Kilmer was one of the speakers and he stated that he supported a constitutional amendment which would nullify the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision which decidedly loosened the restrictions on corporate campaign donations.
Donna Munro
Bremerton
