Thank you

McTakeover

a true success

Armin Jahr Elementary school Parent Teacher Association (PTA) would like to express their appreciation to the Wheaton Way McDonald’s, their employees and all of the customers who participated in one of that location’s most successful McTakeover fundraisers.

The night of Sept. 17 was marked by a special and rare appearance by Ronald McDonald himself. The trademark clown delighted the kids with magic tricks, high-fives and autograph signing, while bringing back fond memories to parents who recalled their childhood encounters with the famous icon.

Forty percent of the profits from that night were donated to Armin Jahr PTA while 10 percent went directly to the Ronald McDonald House charity. PTAs provide supplemental funding for extended learning opportunities and equipment that would otherwise be unobtainable through district school budgets.

Again, a huge McThank you to all of you who helped make this McTakeover such a success.

ARMIN JAHR ELEMENTARY PTA

Bremerton

Decision 2008

‘She can see Russia from

her house’

Hallelujah! Finally a suitable candidate to succeed W. Bush and carry on the new executive branch tradition of ignoring data, avoiding the constitution and choosing the “Dirty Harry” approach to foreign policy. Since Rudy G. ridiculed Obama for wanting to give Al Queda their “rights;” we can be certain Gov. Sarah Palin would, as her first act as president of the Senate, burn the Constitution — especially that pesky Bill of Rights. I guess in her world it’s easy to spot Al Queda, God tells her who they are. We can anticipate a new sport from Alaska — hunting Arabs from spotter planes.

HANK FLY

Bainbridge Island

Letter on letter

Time to

reign in free

enterprise

It is strange that at this particular time the letter writer in the Sept. 20 issue (“Steer clear of the socialist path”) is warning us about the dire consequences of choosing the “socialistic path.” This warning comes just when the government, also known as we the taxpayers, is called upon to pay for the dire consequences of our deregulated capitalism. We are now witnessing a crisis of financial mismanagement and greed. Huge companies and their hugely paid CEOs have acted greedily and against the interests of the common good. They acted knowing that they will not be able to meet their obligations. But because it happened under the conservative’s sacrosanct, free enterprise system there is no little or public outcry, no finger pointing. Now the government will have to bail them out to avoid collapse of the economy — or as a former Secretary of the Treasury called it “the privatization of gain and the socialization of loss.”

It is time to reign in free enterprise and stop demonizing socialism. It is time to nurture the spirit for the common good. How often have we heard the words “the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer”: Democracy cannot survive in such a society.

The majority of American people and many doctors favor a single payer health care system. The present one is excellent for the rich, for those who can afford it, but it leaves out 50 million of the poor and the working poor. But all attempts to have a system that provides for the rich and poor alike are dismissed as “socialism.” Whatever it is called it has to be better than the one we have under our present capitalistic system.

ELISABETH BONDY

Silverdale

Eggs and Issues Debate

Why no filming, Rolfes?

I am an independent video producer who has volunteered my firm’s time, money and energy to record and broadcast the Eggs and Issues Political Forums. Kitsap County and Legislative debates for Kitsap Judicial, Kitsap Auditor and Kitsap Commissioner were recorded and have been seen by thousands of voters on Bremerton-Kitsap-Access-Television (BKAT) and Bainbridge Television (BITV).

Candidate Mark Lowe expressed total support of the filming. However, at the recent Lowe/Rolfes Eggs Issues debate, Ms. Rolfes banned the filming. As a direct result, thousands of voters were deprived of the opportunity of hearing these candidates answer tough questions.

What is it about transparent and open government that troubles Ms. Rolfes to the point of denying public access to a public meeting? Ms. Rolfes was asked a pointed question by Adele Ferguson why she (Rolfes) banned the taping. Ms. Rolfes answered enigmatically, “I didn’t want the camera on me the whole time.” Candidate Mark Lowe answered the same question saying he fully supported open government and real information to the voters.

My question to Rep. Rolfes persists: what is it you don’t want the voters to hear and see about you? I find Rep. Rolfes’ actions to be very cynical and evasive toward the voters.

JAMES M. OLSEN

Bainbridge Island