Letters to the EditorWednesday, January 30, 2008
Deficit spending "Chicken Little" is back. The sky is falling. The media are in the process of putting us into a recession. The Jan. 22 Local section of The Post and Courier uses the small-business operator as proof. Long days and tight belts are the norm for small-business operators, especially after being in business for only a month. Once, a man had a produce stand alongside a main thoroughfare. Through hard work and frugal living, he managed to send his son to college. The newly educated son came home and told his dad, "Hard times are coming. The economy is not good, so you should scale back your operation. Take down those signs, reduce your inventory and cut back your hours of operation." Believing his educated son, the man did as advised, and sure enough, business got worse. The main problem with our economy is deficit spending by government, business and individuals. Most folks are spending more than they earn. The difference is debt. Individual savings are pitifully low, and the debt load is much too heavy. We are funding our lifestyles with credit and without the resources to pay. We cannot borrow ourselves out of debt. HAROLD WADE Power lies within "Have I ever told you how lucky you are?" — Dr. Seuss Ahh, 2008 — a time for new beginnings, changes and for people to move on. Too often, there are too many people with bad attitudes toward life. Too many people hold grudges, think negatively and blame the way they are feeling on someone else or on themselves. As Gomer Pyle said, "Shame, shame, shame!" When people understand they have the power to change their thoughts and therefore their feelings, everything changes. While temporary distractions, such as drinking, overeating and other substances of choice may offer momentary relief, it is not until people realize that their true power only lies within that changes come. However, "With great power comes great responsibility," as Ben Parker (aka "Uncle Ben") said. So, stop acting like a 6-year-old child and take responsibility for your thoughts, feelings and actions. An anonymous person said, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that's why it is called the present." That is the way to live. Life is taken for granted by so many. People just don't see how fortunate they are just to be alive. So, stop your complaining. The beginning of a year is a time to forget the past and turn to the future. What was your New Year's resolution? Come on, live a little! ROSE BALENTINE Don't blame combat I'm writing regarding the Jan. 20 Post and Courier article titled "Homeless vets: Why does this still happen?" What is the purpose of this article? What is the reader supposed to take from it? Before we blame the vets' time in combat, let's look at who these people were before they went to war. No doubt they were patriots who felt a need to fight for their country. But there is a good chance that if those same people did not go to war, they might have had trouble in society anyway. In most cases, a strong stable person can come home from the military experience and live a fine productive life, for example, John McCain, Bob Dole and many others. Military combat does have a negative affect on the mind to some degree, but if the country remains strong and free, wars that are necessary are a positive, not a negative. Dentists have a high rate of suicide. Does that mean we should outlaw dentistry? GREG FIRPO Helmets not issue I try to read several different newspapers in a week, and I've noticed the editors of all the papers are suddenly very concerned about people who ride motorcycles. Why is it so important to change laws that our fathers worked so hard for back in the 1970s and 1980s, when there are so many real problems in our society that need to be addressed? Consider cigarette smoking. South Carolina still has the lowest tax on cigarettes, even if the tax increase before the Legislature passes. There are issues of unemployment, teen pregnancy, immigration and drunk driving. Pick one. Our legislators should work on problems that need fixing. People who have ridden motorcycles most of their adult lives like the laws as they are now. Most riders are educated, concerned citizens and make the right choices in life. Let's move on to the real issues. MARTY SMITH Balanced budget The rhetoric from the presidential candidates is getting blander each day. When will we hear a candidate, Democrat or Republican, address the real issue for the next president, which is balancing the federal budget and securing Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid for future generations? The Concord Coalition came to town last year with David M. Walker, comptroller general of the United States, as the featured speaker. Also attending were Robert Bixby of the Coalition, Alison Fraser of the Heritage Foundation and Doug Elmendorf of the Brookings Institution. Only 200 people showed up for their presentations, but what they said was mind-boggling. Federal spending is out of control. Our government is outspending revenues. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are 40 percent of the budget. Health care costs will make up today's entire federal budget in 30 to 40 years. Our dependence on foreign investment to balance the budget will lead to more transfer of our wealth in the form of interest and dividend payments and profits to those investors. We now pay $200 billion annually in interest on the debt. The Concord Coalition made good points and summarized their concerns this way: -- Current fiscal policy is un-sustainable. -- The longer we wait to cut deficits the more difficult it becomes. -- Public engagement and understanding are vital for finding solutions. -- Nothing will change in Washington unless "we the people" demand it. -- It's not about numbers. It is a moral issue. Our children will be the ones to suffer the consequences of no action now. This presidential election, more than any in the past 30 years, is most important. We must elect a fiscal conservative who will tackle the tough issues with the Congress to bring financial order to our national house before it is too late. As Mr. Walker said, the next president is vital to our national security. ELTON K. CARRIER One of best passers I would like to add to your Jan. 18 article in the Sports section that features Lucas Hagerty of Academic Magnet High School. It was great to read an article about a true student athlete such as Lucas. Playing two varsity sports and having a 3.9 grade point average is an outstanding feat. However, the article missed a point about Lucas' basketball skills I feel needs to be mentioned. Lucas is one of the best, if not the best, passers in high school basketball that I have seen in a long time. His passes and court vision are reminiscent of Pete Maravich and Magic Johnson. If you think I am exaggerating, come out to Sterrett Hall on the old Navy Base one night and see for yourself. You will definitely leave impressed with this young man's skills and how he handles himself on and off the basketball court. DAVID BONNER Can't fix I-526 now How can we consider extending I-526 when we cannot maintain the I-526 we have now? RONALD TALENT Dr. King's view? Without a doubt, the greatest leader of my lifetime was the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. After reading Dr. King's incredible book, "Why We Can't Wait," I finally realized that he led Americans, black and white, through the greatest peace revolution of all time. I wonder if he would have supported any of today's presidential candidates. On March 13, 2003, Sen. Hillary Clinton voted against the ban on partial-birth abortion. She was defeated after the Senate voted 64-34 to ban partial-birth abortion. On April 18, 2007, the law was challenged and the U.S. Supreme Court voted to uphold the law against partial-birth abortion. Sens. Clinton and Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards immediately proceeded to criticize the court for its decision. After reading Dr. King's book, I think I know for whom he would vote. JOEY MURRAY |
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