Today’s GOP betrays principles
As one who once voted Republican, I have been dismayed by the betrayal of conservative principles and decorum beginning with the previous administration and its current exponents.
Sen. Robert Taft and later Sen. Barry Goldwater both would have been appalled had they witnessed a Republican president take our country into an unnecessary war and turn a multibillion surplus into a $1.3 trillion deficit.
President George H.W. Bush was once asked what his opinion would be of a person who outed an undercover CIA agent. His answer, “a traitor.” This happened by and during his son’s administration.
Conservatives of the past would have been outraged at Rep. Joe Wilson’s unprecedented violation of House rules in calling our president a liar during a joint session of Congress. No need to speculate either on what they would say about public official sex offenders living luxuriously in a tax-exempt Washington “church” known as C Street.
On entering the doors of Congress, the great civil rights leader, John Lewis, was involved with racial slurs, and Rep. Barney Frank with homophobic insults. Another congressman was spit upon.
Rep. Randy Neugebauer called Rep. Stupak, a leading right to life advocate, a “baby killer” while Stupak was addressing Congress. His rationalization for his choice of words cannot excuse his extreme breach of House decorum.
Neo-cons they are. Conservative they are not.
JOHN BRATTON
Sewanee, Tenn.
Pay attention and save lives
I have lived in Red Bank for over 10 years and I have never received a traffic violation. It is not that I am such a good driver; I just obey the traffic laws.
I get real tired of people who think somehow their rights are being violated, boycotting good businesses here, and whine and moan because they cannot get away with breaking the law.
These people just do not understand that lives are being saved just by you paying attention to what you are doing.
I was almost hit “real hard” by a motorist who was speeding through a red light just to make it.
If people want to stay out of Red Bank because we want to maintain some sense of traffic order and safety here, then do not let the door hit you in the rear on the way out! You are just hurting the businesses and yourselves.
ROBERT D. HENRY
Red Bank
Not all are fooled by tax credit
I would like to know how others are being “helped” by Obama’s Making Work Pay Credit.
Referring to the article in the Business Section on April 15 (how timely), I quote: “The most generous was Obama’s Making Work Pay Credit, which gives individuals $400 and couples $800 for 2009 and 2010.”
My husband and I filed for the supposed “credit” of $800 but after all of the deductions on the IRS form, we got back a total of $10!
Thanks, Obama. I guess you forgot to let the people know the $400/$800 was before deductions.
Quit trying to fool us; some of us are actually not stupid.
CANDICE MCCALLIE
Lookout Mountain, Ga.