It's best to hear the whole story
Wednesday's editorial "Misplaced attack on charities" demands a response on at least two counts.
First, Rep. Xavier Becerra, referred to as "she" in the editorial, is male.
Second, as he was my congressman for many years, and I know him to be a fine, thoughtful, hard-working and progressive member of Congress, I am sure there is much more to his statement than was quoted in this editorial. Like all your readers, I appreciate hearing the whole story -- not just the part that supports a partisan point of view.
JANIS HASHE
Any reaction to Obama's gift?
To 2nd District Congressman John Duncan of Knoxville:
Article 1, Section 9, of the Constitution states that no office holder shall accept gifts without the consent of Congress. However, Barack Obama has been awarded, and accepted, such a gift -- the Peace Prize -- without the required congressional consent.
Do you plan to make a statement to the media on this matter?
DON DEVAN
Knoxville
Democrats' plan hurts US seniors
Beware! All seniors on Medicare Advantage plans will have their benefits cut if the Democrats have their way with this current health care bill. AARP is backing this so you can buy their very expensive insurance plan. As Sen. John McCain stated recently -- "cut up your AARP card and mail back to them.''
Democrats want to spread seniors' benefits around to those who won't buy their own coverage, those who don't work, or those who are here illegally. Some 9 million or more seniors are going to suffer this loss. Write all the Democrats in Congress and let them know your feelings.
CARL CLARK
Ooltewah
Enact Medicare for all citizens
Medicare For All is the way to go for health reform for all citizens! Be progressive, think people, your constituents and vote yes if you really are for the people and not big business.
SANDY DANIELSON
Now is the time to fix highway
Corridor K (U.S. 64) is an east-west road through mountains that run north-south. Over time the Ocoee River has cut a channel through these mountains, providing a gorge that the current road utilizes. Geologic processes continually erode and reform mountains producing rock slides such as on U.S. 64, I-40, Cummings Highway, W Road, etc. in the same month.
There is no "mountain-top" route available for this road. A series of three to four ridges must be surmounted to run another road either north or south of the present route. These will involve roads with a footprint similar to or worse than Monteagle Mountain (I-24) with similar ice and snow problems in the winter and equally prone to rock slides.
We should worry less about providing a way to drive through Polk County than a way for residents to get access to jobs/medical care and for people (tourists, rafters, hikers) to access Polk County as a destination. TDOT is missing a "golden opportunity" to be pro-active and fix some of the other problems with this stretch of road while it's shut down for rock slide removal. ARC is missing the same opportunity to provide some of the funds necessary to accomplish this.
BETTY J. PETTY
Member
Corridor K
Citizens Resource Team
Ooltewah
Return to frugality would be refreshing
I'm confused. There is a lack of consistent information regarding the economy. President Obama states that the economy is his No. 1 priority, and yet he seemingly prioritizes health care reform and the war. Some have reported the recession's end, yet others say the only way to fully recover is by a significant increase in consumer spending.
This last claim is most puzzling. A significant cause of the recession was a failure of consumers to live within their means, instead pursuing luxurious living via large amounts of credit. As the inevitable happened -- consumers unable to bear the debt burden of their financed lifestyle -- credit dried up, and the economy tanked. Now, we are told that a return to free spending is supposed to remedy the situation that free spending created.
It would seem that a return to the philosophy of Frederick Bastiat would be more fitting. Perhaps his notion of frugal spending would better serve overall interests. Free spending only aids the economy in the short term, with disastrous long-term effects, while frugality ultimately provides for a greater economic stimulus in the long run. In this environment of change, a return to frugality (both by consumers and government) would be refreshing.
JULIE PAUL
'Illegal invaders' should be halted
It should seem very strange to our citizens that such an uproar has been raised over the misguided couple "crashing" the party at the White House.
After all, our own government has and continues to allow thousands of "party crashers" to invade our great country's borders every year. These people are illegal "invaders" but are labeled "illegal immigrants" by the very people who are supposed to protect us and uphold the sovereignty of our nation.
Why do we not demand this to cease?
Why should we send our sons and daughters into harm's way in many countries around the world when we are unwilling to secure our own borders? How many of the "9/11" terrorists were "illegal invaders"?
ROBERT
WESTMORELAND
Ellijay, Ga.
State politicians aren't selling out
Regarding the full-page ad asking "Are Tennessee Politicians Selling Out Tennessee Workers?"
No, they are not.
The arrival of VW, Alstom, Gestamp, Wacker Chemical and other foreign companies represents a massive investment of foreign capital in our area. That's not taxpayer money.
The ad depends upon "eyewitness accounts." VW gives us numbers: $340 million spent on Tennessee construction firms and $178.5 million spent for components. And a lot of the $600 million being spent by the state, city, and county are also spent with local contractors. Not to mention the jobs once they start production.
I wish more of it had been spent with Stein Construction Co., but that's the market. We had (and will have) our chance.
If other cities, counties and states enacted similar "local hire" regulations, we'd be out of business. That would cost local jobs. In fact, just such a provision at TVA's Kingston plant cost our company work there.
If "the politicians who negotiated with Volkswagen" had included a "local hire mandate," then Alabama contractors would be doing the work that Tennessee contractors are now doing.
Maybe it would be a good idea to call the five elected leaders in the ad and say "Thanks."
F. DOUGLASS STEIN
President
Stein Construction
Co. Inc.
Reply to; "Return to frugality would be refreshing"
By JULIE PAUL
The fact is, many people are being forced into spending less because they don't have the money due to the causes of this recession.
Under the crisis conditions we now have , when the politicians say we are going to get good paying long-term jobs back, it ia hard to believe them. Since the American people's wages have "peaked out" and the American consumers, along with the Government's policies have been to spend more money than they have coming in. That means all of the Government workers and our elected so called "leaders'" wages are too high. Especially when all of the other workers' real wages are on the way down.
The Free and unfair Trade agreements approved by Congress over a period of many years,with the lower labor wage countries have allowed the global corporations to "invest in" and race into the lower wage labor countries, causing the lost of our manufacturing base along with the jobs.
While the FED was propping up the financial institutions,trying to prevent this recession from turninf into a dseep depression, they forgot about what had happened to cause this crisis over a period of many years, in the first place. Of course it was the over indulgence of the consumers and their debt, but what about the jobs and more jobs which are needed to put people back to work to make it possible for them to borrow money and pay it back. We are still in a "service based and debt based economy" and have to get back to a "normal" balanced trade and not the forced decrease due to our increase in poverty, but with jobs and more exports. The Global Corporations' "one way street" with their imports from the low wage countries will have to decrease.
We need to be aware and make sure that non of the stimulus money should be used by the global corporations for manufacturing goods outside our country. Also even if there are small businesses getting loans, that loan money should not be used to create jobs outside of our Nation. We need "Made in the USA" labels on goods being produced here.
It appears that our problems are related to the Global Corporations, with rhe need to get them to invest money back into the US instead of the foreign countries. The "free will" of the private global capitalist has already been in affect and their choices have put this country into the financial crisis conditions we are in now.
How many people are losing their conveniences or are behind on their payments? From the bottom up, it will have an effect on all of the utility companies.
I'm all "for the people", have been a real, progressive thinker for decades now (not the trendy, politically motivated troglodyte that is reminiscent of a certain Party today); and I love Reform. Reform that is truly 'health'-based, truly cognizent of human needs and the needy, truly life-changing and affirming.
Trouble is, HC for all, Medicare for all, is most definitely not going to be good for all in this country. Especially all the taxpayers and all the small businesses. Instead it is the biggest lie, the most malevolent deception this country has had to deal with in half a century or more. I'll leave the Nazi's Fascist regime at the top of the list where it belongs. For now.
DON DEVAN
CIVICS 101
For those of us who read entire documents, and not just parts of it, or get there information from the Washington Post.
Article 1, Section 9, of the Constitution of the United States:
"No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince or foreign State."
However for those of us who have read our Constitution, we know that ARTICLE I, deals with the LEGISLATIVE BRANCH of congress.
Art I Sect I "All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives."
Article I deals with the LEGISLATIVE branch of the U.S. Government.
The Office of "President" is in the EXECUTIVE branch of the U.S. Government.
Any Questions? Class Dismissed.
CIVICS 102 What the Constitution says about the President
ART II Sec: I The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.
ART II Sec II The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
ART II Sec III He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.
ART II Sec IV The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
So in closing, Obama CAN accept a Nobel Prize, without anyone being able to Say a word about it, as it does not violate the Constitutional guidelines for President.
Class Dismissed
Don,
I was wondering, did you get this information from the Article by Professor Rotunda in the Washington Post?
I called Chapman University where Professor Rotunda teaches last night, and not only According to the Dean of Professors, did he get the COnstitutional implicatins of the peace prize and the President wrong... he got the Tax law wrong as well.
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