Reader Mail
Messianic Mistakes
Pension priorities. How long ‘til Obama’s first misstep? Church socialism. Taxing experience. Poet’s corner. Plus more.
(Page 2 of 3)
That’s why prayer will become even more popular.
Perhaps we should begin our prayers for Panetta sooner rather
than later, so to speak!
— R. Philips
Corrales, New Mexico
INSULATED BIAS
Re: Doug Bandow’s Is
God a Socialist?:
Well said, Mr. Bandow. At least you ask the right question. The
Church (include them all) enjoys tax-exempt status. This does two
things: it insulates and it biases. It insulates from the
problems that corporations face, including paying the freight for
their conduct, and it biases them in favor of those who
indiscriminately “need.” Although I believe that churches and
their leaders are largely socialistic, I don’t see that much can
be done about it. As I told a particularly lefty priest: I come
to Mass for the Transubstantiation, not political edification. It
seems to me that liberal clerics and liberal politicians share an
aversion to things ten: the politician doesn’t believe in the
Tenth Amendment; the cleric has no truck with the Tenth
Commandment.
— J.C.Eaton
Wisconsin
RATIONAL, ALL TOO RATIONAL
Re: Alex J. Pollock’s Improving
the Financial System for the Next Cycle:
Pollock’s proposals are so rational they have no chance of adoption in today’s political “Twilight Zone.” Fortunately, recommendation 6, “Study Financial History” requires no government mandate for the rest of us. One is tempted to doubt the current wizards of smart in government would stir themselves to such exertion if such a mandate existed.
I couldn’t help but note the following passage regarding loss
reserves: “Unfortunately, in this country the SEC went in just
the opposite direction from what the Spanish regulators did. It
actively opposed building large loan loss reserves, because it
regarded them as undesirable “earnings management,” which would
understate profits in good times, while providing a cushion for
bad years. The result was to overstate profits in the bubble and
to have insufficient cushion in the bust.” It is unavoidably true
that the accumulation of prudent loss reserves disappoints the
taxing authorities, which the cynic in me finds a more sincere
explanation of SEC policy than any notions of regulatory
purity.
— Bud Hammons
PRESIDENTIAL MISADVENTURES=HILARIOUS
Re: Readers’ letters under “Quin’s Lament” in Reader Mail’s
Abandon Ship:
There is no surprise that as socialists have taken over the U.S.
Government, all of the Marxist Socialist Media (MSM) such as the
New York Times, the L.A. Times, the
Washington Post, all newspapers in small cities that
have imposed a communist socialist persona on all of the news,
are going broke. Traditional Americans have put up with this
excrement for too many years, and are now dumping their
subscriptions to all of this media as fast as they can. Moreover,
Marxists, many of whom do not have any employment, as well as
Marxists at Universities and in Government must now view their
jobs with heightened awareness, as we working people are going to
see that they all go bankrupt. In contrast to Obama’s
inclination, we want to fire all the incompetents, we want people
who pay no taxes and who Obama would provide with welfare checks,
to now have to pay taxes, whereas those of us who have been
paying taxes should get a reduction. WE are not going to stand
for this brainless moron’s prescriptions for the U.S. Let him try
and he will soon be laughed off of the stage from the entire
world.
— Patricia A. Helvenston, Ph.D.
TASTE OF THEIR OWN
MEDICINE
Re: Ralph R. Reiland’s The Times’ Gas Pains:
It’s time to impose a progressive tax on those who tax others.
Make it a weekly tax, with a 3-minute a.m. filing window.
— David Govett
Davis, California
JEFFREY LORD AS POLITICAL
ANTIDEPRESSANT
Re: Jeffrey Lord’s The Importance of Jack Kemp:
Still suffering from severe political depression since November,
I have focused on work and family and consciously avoided all
things MSM and most things alternative, such as TAS, NRO, and
even regular visits to Drudge. However, each week I find it
possible to take a short foray into these once familiar sites and
once again I feel the need to say “Don’t let Jeffrey Lord get
away.” Great stuff, ALL the time. Thank you Mr. Lord for another
enjoyable read in regard to Jack Kemp. May God bless him and hear
our prayers for him and our country.
— Roger Ross
I think Reagan made a big mistake when he didn’t put Jack Kemp on
the ticket.
— Charlie Pitale
NOT COOL
Re: Peter Hannaford’s
Henny Penny Post-Poland:
Letter to the Editor View all comments (28) | Leave a comment
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frost| 1.13.09 @ 7:38AM
Oh, would that Dr. Halvenston be right?!? But, no, I fear not; we're being outvoted by those who seek "Something-for-Nothing" and those sanctimonious social-planners who'd prefer to inflict their version of a "brave-new-world" on we producers. We're in serious trouble, and the sheer numbers are stacked very much against us.
Troy | 1.13.09 @ 8:36AM
Wow, Mimi, that was beautiful.
Alan Brooks| 1.13.09 @ 11:16AM
a libertarian should not work as a teacher, hes rationalizing to think he can change anything by being a libertarian teacher.
And what does he mean teachers unions dont represent the state? and vice versa.
he works for a govt monopoly! Good lord what games are going on in his pedant's head. no wonder he isnt a professor.
libertarians are more dishonest to themselves than govt is to them.
sound bitter? you betcha. this isnt ben 'n' jerry's love-in blog.
Alan Brooks| 1.13.09 @ 11:49AM
and he mentions police and firefighters. sheesh
teachers are nothing next to them.
publik teachers should all be paid nothing but room and board.
frost| 1.13.09 @ 11:53AM
Sorry, Alan, your logic leaves bunches to be desired. My wife's a Libertarian college professor with Ph.D. (Business) and a few other Masters, and she also was stuck having to be a part of a stupid union. Ira from Rochester has always sounded like a lucid winner in all his previous postings (although he was a might verbose here), and I sympathize with him. I, too, might be called a Libertarian - - except for two things, their policy on illegal immigration, and on American foreign policy. Illegal aliens have gotta stop; they must cross our borders properly, as our grandfathers did - and we're committed: we must follow through and complete the Iraqi thing.
Alan, try reading a little more before opening yourself to ridicule, 'ay?
Dustoff| 1.13.09 @ 12:18PM
Alan
As a retired Fire fighter myself. I must say YOUR wrong. I have no problem paying good teachers.
I just don't want the government doing it.
By the way, there is also lazy fire fighters too.
IMKessel| 1.13.09 @ 4:43PM
Frost,
Thank you for the defense and kind words. (Verbose? Really?)
Mr. Brooks, I don’t accept anyone else’s shoulds. (“Don’t should on me, and I won’t should on you.”) As for rationalizing about making a difference, I didn’t offer any reasons for my teaching other than monetary compensation and benefits. I made no mention of making a difference in anyone’s life. (Though, truth be out, by exposing my charges to alternative thinking, I do make a difference. Thank you for your concern.)
As for teacher unions not representing the state, how can I be clearer? The union zealously represents the interests of its members. Their concern is not how the state gains revenues or balances their books; the unions' concern is getting paid and being respected.
In regards to other fine public representative, yes, teachers are exactly that. Fine public servants. I am also proudly a war veteran. (No need to thank me. Uncle Sam paid me already.) The point was, and remains, even public servants deserve to be paid for services rendered. (From your response, I can see that some teachers may not have provided much service to some students. But then again, some houses do burn down despite heroic efforts of the fire department.)
Lastly, I have fully supported vouchers for years. I work in the public sector because the pay and benefits are superior to the private sector. Ideally, a completely privatized educational system will eventually replace the decrepit system we have now, but as a student of Plato pointed out, the ideal chair may be in heaven, but I need to sit here on earth. I work for a living and make no apologies for doing so.
frost| 1.13.09 @ 8:19PM
That was kinda "tongue-in-cheek," Ira, as you're normally very brief (more so than I) and concise.
We probably agree 96.4% of the time.....
Gazinya| 1.13.09 @ 10:25PM
Unions that depend on taxes taken by cities, counties, states should be the most pro business people out there. Unfortunately, the bigger the union the dumber the union. Most, or all, are democrate and they bow down to the 'big boys' in Washington who are anti business. Throw out the old union bosses or downgrade the union to local control. Screw the Internationals.
ruth| 1.14.09 @ 1:49AM
Unions might represent their members, but they have become another arm of the democrat party. Because of this they impact our elections and our government.
Chuck| 1.14.09 @ 6:26PM
I just wanted to respond to Ira M. Kessel's above take on Teacher Unions. Ira, my position is that if you are a very good teacher, "Having a powerful union is" not in your best interest. You will not get the most you can get, or what you deserve because you are unable to bargain on your own. and the union is not working for you, but all the teacher's, including the crappy ones who do not even deserve what they are already getting. You are being represented as a whole group, not as an individual with your own merits and accomplishments. So while I agree with points about government irresponsibility, I cannot go along with your portrayal of how a strong union is in your best interest. Unless you were a bad teacher.
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