Letters to the EditorSunday, July 20, 2008
Key player With reference to the July 15 front-page article on ALS and the military, I thought your readers might be interested to know that, in addition to Gen. Tom Mikolajcik, there is another Lowcountry connection to this story which deserves mention. Dr. John R. Feussner is the chairman of the Department of Medicine at MUSC. Prior to joining MUSC, Dr. Feussner served as chief research officer in the Department of Veterans Affairs. During Dr. Feussner's tenure he chaired the president's Gulf War Research Advisory Group, which was charged with investigating illnesses associated with service in the war. In addition to initiating research that involved nearly two million veterans, Dr. Feussner, himself, was directly involved in and co-authored the study that demonstrated an association between Gulf War service and ALS. He was also key in fast-tracking VA policy changes that benefited Gulf War veterans. MIKE OBSTFELD Stop paving The paper no sooner finishes a week-long series on transportation in and around Charleston than the state announces a $60 million-plus, three-year project to widen I-26 from Ashley Phosphate to I-526. Experts agree: you cannot pave your way out of gridlock. Mass transit is desperately needed. Dump the road plan and use the money to buy buses, expand routes, and build bus shelters. Get the buses moving on time by closing a lane on I-26 and dedicating it to buses only. Do the same on Rivers Avenue, Highway 17 North and South, and Dorchester Road. We do not need new asphalt, we need to use what we have more wisely. STEPHEN D. CAMPBELL Still complaining The NAACP will never be satisfied. It will always find something to complain about because that's its whole reason for existing. A compromise was reached on the Confederate flag issue, yet it still isn't satisfied. I'd put the flag back on top of the Statehouse. DANNY DANTZLER Fix entitlements The Social Security system and Medicare are fundamentally flawed systems, and taxpayers face astronomical unfunded liabilities. Marginal adjustments (e.g., increase taxes or reduce compensation) to the existing systems will not solve the problem. Additional taxes will in fact diminish economic growth because capital that could have been used for investment will be transferred to entitlement payments. Real reform of these flawed systems must include taxpayer "ownership" of individual retirement and medical accounts. Specifically, ownership means that any revenue accrued to an individual retirement or medical savings account cannot be transferred to general government revenue. In addition, a government-insured baseline should be adopted for both retirement and medical care accounts. Finally, investment options for retirement accounts should be "overall market based" and not government-managed or mandated. On the Medicare reform side, individual medical savings accounts should be implemented following the very successful approach taken by Singapore. JONATHAN E. WALKER Literacy works Many thanks to Noah Haglund for his informative article "Turning jailhouse to schoolhouse" in the July 5 Post and Courier. The July 8 editorial in support of education for prisoners was also welcome. Trident Literacy Association is pleased to contribute to the individual achievements these inmates are making, with the cooperation of Charleston County Detention Center and Trident One Stop. But this is only part of what Trident Literacy does. Every week, hundreds of people from downtown Charleston to Moncks Corner work to increase their literacy. Over 200 volunteers work with 2,500 adults in reading, writing, mathematics, GED preparation, English as a Second Language, WorkKeys Career Readiness and computer basics to help them become more self-sufficient, get better jobs, and help their children succeed in school. Many thanks to everyone who has helped Trident Literacy over the years. Our generous benefactors, our dedicated volunteers, and our determined students keep us committed to our mission. CHERYL MONIZ |
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