10/01/08 Letters to the Editor

Yakima Herald-Republic

Was it necessary?

To the editor -- I understand the editorial is just that, an opinion, not necessarily the facts. But I wonder about the headline, "Does the 'D' in Democrat stand for dopey?"

I have been a Republican all my life, but calling Democrats dopey goes too far. And what exactly are we to get a grip on? Why do we have to lose our civility during an election year? Why does it have to be encouraged by the media, here and across the country?

I have Democratic friends and family and I would never call them dopey. Yes, the "GOP" tag has been around for a long time. But how many people understand what it means and why can't Dino Rossi just claim "Republican?"

It is a small thing, but I am dismayed that our local newspaper feels the need to encourage and promote innuendo and negative press about our neighbors.

 

DARLENE GRAVES

Yakima

 

 

Congress: Do your job

To the editor -- Early in my 33-year banking career I learned three guiding principles.

1) Bankers are not lending the bank's money, they are lending depositors' money. The bank does not have any money. It is wise to exercise prudent lending policies.

2) As a lending officer, my first responsibility was to get you in debt and my second was to get you out of debt. This calls for lending policies that will allow the borrower to pay off the loan as scheduled subject to his or her ability to pay.

3) If you don't care who gets the credit, you can solve just about any problem.

It's too bad the CEOs of failed banks who are paid millions don't understand or failed to consider the first two principles. Add greed and we have a real mess.

Congress must understand the third principle. Both major parties are trying to become the great white knight for the benefit of their party and presidential candidate. Congress must remember it was depositors' money used by stupid bankers following liberal guidelines set up by Congress that got us into this financial crisis.

Congress must draft a solution to protect Main Street, not Wall Street, pass it and don't ever let this happen again. Just do your job.

 

GUY SHINN

Yakima

 

Informed voters

To the editor -- Alas, the Democrats have finally admitted that there are a large percentage of their members who are uninformed voters. Approximately 6 percent of them don't realize that the GOP (Grand Old Party) is the same as the Republican Party (the party of Lincoln). As a result, the Democrats sued (and lost) to force Dino Rossi to show his "party of preference" as the Republican Party and not the GOP. What lunacy on their part!

I have a better idea. There must be at least 90 percent of the members of the Democrat Party who don't realize their party has been hijacked by the extreme left, led by the left-leaning Barack Hussein Obama and Christine Gregoire. As a result of this lack of knowledge and understanding by Democrat voters, the ballots for their candidates (Gregoire and Obama) should be changed to reflect "party of preference" as Socialist. Socialist certainly fits their political philosophy better than Democrat.

Those of us in the GOP have known this for quite some time because, after all, we are informed voters.

 

JOHN TIERNEY

Selah

 

 

Fix Social Security

To the editor -- Millions of people are collecting Social Security, having paid into the system their entire working lives. Many rely on it as their primary income.

Why can the federal government so readily bail out insurance companies and investment banks but cannot repay money "borrowed" from the Social Security Trust Fund?

Please explain how the Social Security System cannot afford the extra burden of the baby boomer retirees, when this same surplus of retirees has been paying into the system for the past 3,040 years. Where does the money go? To the investment bankers? To the military-industrial complex? To no-bid contracts served up on silver platters? To corporate welfare in general?

Why can Congress give themselves raises at the same rate that Social Security recipients get? For example, a person on Social Security making $10,000 per year if given a 6 percent raise would gain $600 while congressmen making $100,000 given the same raise would gain an additional $6,000.

Some people would like to see Social Security privatized. I would feel better knowing my Social Security dollars were being managed by professionals, such as the investment bankers and insurance executives. Wouldn't you?

 

JACK W. BUNGER

Yakima

 

 

Read Palin biography

To the editor -- I was fortunate to receive the 2007 biography, "Sarah," recently. It is a fascinating story of Sarah Palin's life.

I want to tell readers that the negative remarks about Sarah are untrue and unfair. It took one year to run for Miss Wasilla and months to win as first runner-up and Miss Congeniality for Miss Alaska. A year later she left colleges in Hawaii because of rain and "island fever."

Sarah graduated with honors in journalism and political science from the University of Idaho, Moscow, where her brother also attended.

Gov. Palin's inaugural address is included in the appendix. Don't miss reading that inspirational speech. Her 84 percent approval rate in Alaska is the highest in the nation!

Proud uncle, Eric Anderson, (Letters, Sept. 21), claims that Sarah is not as intelligent as his 21-year-old niece, who is working on her doctorate in astrophysics. Dianne Brack, (Letters, Sept. 22) wrote that Sarah Palin can't relate because she hasn't lived with poverty, gangs or abuse.

God gave each of us many different talents designed for his work. Can you find Sarah's?

It's hard "to walk a mile in Sarah's shoes, but after you read the biography, "Sarah," it will be a great first step.

 

ANN LAWRENCE

Yakima

 

 

Palin: You go, girl!

To the editor -- To say that I am excited over the nomination of Sarah Palin as vice president would be a gross understatement -- I am absolutely thrilled! Sarah Palin not only talks the talk, but she also walks the walk -- an attribute too rare in politics today!

She has illustrated how a hockey mom could rise to become a political force to be reckoned with and, in doing so, has turned the political establishment upside down!

Unfortunately, some of her most vehement critics have been other women. Like Margaret Thatcher before her, she has had to endure viscous attacks from the Left. But, like Thatcher and other women of strong caliber, she will endure these cruel and baseless insults, emerging unscathed and stronger than ever.

To Mrs. Palin, all I can say is, "You go, girl" and "It's about time!"

 

MICHELLE BERTHON

Yakima

 

 

Time for a change

To the editor -- Re: Lance Sorenson's Sept. 23 letter. This election may well have a profound impact on the future of this nation for many years. We can continue with Bush policies under John McCain, who voted with Bush 90 percent of the time or select a new direction under an Obama administration. It isn't a matter of conservative vs. liberal ideas but fundamental honesty and fiscal responsibility in government. This administration and its supporters have misled the American people time and time again. Their friends on Wall Street and in the big financial institutions have lined their pockets and we are asked to bail them out. The combined debt of an unnecessary war in Iraq and the bailout may well put the country into a depression or at the very least strap our children and grandchildren with years of debt to pay.

As long as the religious right and their agenda dominate the Republican Party, I will vote for the Democrats. A fundamental concept of the founders of our nation was to separate church and state. None of the things listed by Mr. Sorenson as conservative values has been exhibited by the Republicans in the past eight years and that isn't likely to change under McCain. It's time for a change.

 

RICHARD PINGREY

Selah

 

 

GOP speak defined

To the editor -- If you want to know what Republicans really mean when they say something, please try this little trick -- I think you'll find it's extremely effective and enlightening. Simply take the opposite of what they say and you'll have what they mean.

Some examples: "No child left behind" means children left behind; "Balanced budget" means busted budget; "Forest conservation" means log as fast as possible; "tax relief for the middle class" means tax breaks for the rich; "hold corporations accountable" means let them do whatever they want; "winning the war" means not winning the war; "the economy is strong" means it's weak; "bipartisan" means partisan only; "great leader" means total failure; "a uniter not a divider" means divide and conquer.

The examples are virtually endless -- and my system works every time when applied to them.

Don't take my word for it. Try it for yourself. You'll see.

 

DEREK TYLER

Yakima

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