Stop the waste in farm subsidies
I just finished reading Readers Digest June/July issue, and I want the world to know about the millions of dollars spent by our government on wasteful farm subsidies which don’t help farmers who need it.
In November, a Miami television station analyzed farm subsidies in South Florida. Checks were going to at least 234 people who were deceased, a total of $9.5 million.
A government audit discovered that of the 1.8 million “farmers” between 2003 and 2006, 2,702 of them had adjusted gross incomes of more than $2.5 million. The list included a co-owner of a sports team and wealthy residents in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong. Together it is $49 million in taxpayer (our) money. There are members of Congress included along with lobbyists.
Folks, go to readersdigest.com/Crowley and protest. In addition, call Rep. Collin Peterson (202-225-2165) and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (202-224-4843) on the Agriculture Committee and tell them to stop this waste. If the waste in all departments were cut, our budget would improve (farm.ewg.org/farm) will list recipients in each state.
BARBARA HAMBY
EPB trimming goes too far
I came back from a four-day weekend out of town to find a gaping 8-foot-10-foot wide hole in the trees and shrubs next to the driveway where I live.
I asked the neighbors, and they said the Electric Power Board tree trimmers had come by.
I looked to the right down the road and saw trees and shrubs up into the power lines.
I looked to the left and saw trees and shrubs up into the power lines.
I looked at where I lived and I saw four-inch trees cut to ground-level, shrubs ripped out by the roots, smaller trees pushed over just to break their root system.
I called and got the supervisors for EPB out here to file a complaint.
Imagine what was said?
They said, “Officially a four-inch tree is not ‘really’ a tree, and there is a power line nearby, so we can do whatever we like!”
ELDON COOPER
Red Bank
Beck-Palin vision nothing like King’s
I truly want to be a peaceful person. I don’t want to add to the vicious, hostile, divisive voices in our midst.
But reading that Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck chose the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech to host their “Restore America” rally, to invoke King’s name and honor, pushes me to the brink.
Their vision of America and his bear no resemblance.
A church sign read “Thinking is hard work, which is why so few people do it.”
David Brooks’ recent column read: “We are cognitive misers; we try to think as little as possible. … The ensuing mental flabbiness is most evident in politics.”
Have we forgotten God gave us brains to think and reason, the capacity to have civil discourse?
Restore America? Would that be the America that established schools and universities so people could be educated enough to develop reasoned opinions and discuss them like grown-ups? The America that promoted “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free?” The America that established separation of church and state after having sought refuge from religious persecution?
Restore America is a lovely turn of phrase, but take some time to think about what that really means.
KATE STULCE
Ooltewah
Our nation not ‘Christian only’
After the Sept. 11 tragedy, our State Department began a program to promote understanding by sponsoring 1,000 Muslim students annually to attend high school in the United States. The students are provided travel expenses and a small stipend to help with their costs for the school year. Their journey begins and ends with visits to Washington, D.C., to learn about our system of government.
Six years ago, we hosted a young woman of Muslim faith from a small village in the southern Philippines. By hosting Laling, our family received more than we gave. We met families of Muslim faith. Many were born in the United States, others from some 30 countries. Like the rest of America, these folks put their families first and live quiet, moral lives in our communities.
There is a gross misunderstanding by some Americans regarding freedom of religion. The Constitution and the framework of our Founding Fathers have no “Christians only” clause. The current vocal hatred of Islam is un-American, un-Christian and does a disservice to all.
Please, get to know your neighbors. Do not rely on inflammatory, inaccurate statements that have no factual basis and disrespect 25 percent of humankind.
APRIL COOK
Lookout Mountain
Board members’ votes hypocritical
Shame on school board members Boydston, Ricks, Mosley and Baker for putting their self-interest above the children of the county in the pension revote.
While Boydston (who said if she was entitled to it, she was going to take it) and Ricks were at least honest about their self-interest, Mosley and Baker studiously avoided the issue of what is best for the children.
They preferred to talk about the cost of insurance Thurman had, ignoring the fact she herself voted against keeping that.
Baker initially passed on the vote, so he could support it at the end, if it would still fail. However, when faced with a 4-3 vote, he was forced to show his true colors and voted to keep the benefits (though he had already acknowledged budget development might be a better time to address this). When asked afterward how this benefited children, Mosley initially tried to respond with her own question, but eventually acknowledged that it benefited all the board (as opposed to the students).
Mr. Baker avoided voters by slipping out the back door.
This vote was especially hypocritical when the board had just voted to cut back teachers’ benefits.
AMY PETULLA
Barnes worked for education
As president of Georgia Association of Educators (2000-2002), I worked more closely with Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes’ administration than any educator in the state. Yes, things started off poorly. The anger teachers felt was real. But that’s not the complete story. Early in my term, Gov. Barnes’ administration realized it had made mistakes; I began to meet weekly with his education team.
Our input was included in legislation to guarantee teachers a place in promotion-retention decisions. We worked together to plan out remediation for those in danger of failure, improvements to middle schools, enhancement of foreign language programs, reducing class sizes, and millions for new schools.
Contrast that with the last eight years. Teachers and their organizations totally left out, furloughs, layoffs, vouchers, billions in cuts, elimination of National Board, rising class size, and unchecked charter schools. No candidate is perfect.
Both of the gubernatorial candidates have records. Despite the shading by the Nathan Deal campaign, both sought the GAE endorsement. GAE made the correct decision. This is an election about the survival of public education. Roy Barnes learned from his mistakes and has a plan to move forward. Congressman Deal didn’t even value education enough to produce a plan. I wholeheartedly endorse Roy Barnes.
RALPH NOBLE
Eastbrook Middle School
Whitfield County