Reader Mail
Cap-and-Taxed to Death
One terrible bill. Lott and Yeatman vs. Pelosi. Obama's Persian adventure. Plus more.
(Page 2 of 6)
Peter Ferrara mentions a provision that would apply to all those trying to sell their houses. Namely: the house would have to pass some kind of conservation inspection by a government auditor. As a "senior" who is thinking about selling my house in the next couple of years, this got my attention. Is there more specific information available? If so, where? I would appreciate any additional information you can give me.
I am a subscriber to your magazine, but also read it online. You
are always on the cutting edge.
-- Anne L. Carroll
EXIT STRATEGY
Re: Jeremy Lott & William Yeatman's ACES Up Her Sleeves:
I think the worst think about the GoreBull Warming Bill was that it was changed at the last minute without the slightest effort to count the new cost or to rescore it by anyone, CBO or Heritage. This means that they don't care what it costs, and that is malpractice for a body that is suppose to have a hold on the purse strings. Even the appearance of proper action seems no longer required.
After ten years of paying for global warming studies and having meetings, how could they expose themselves to the possibility that they flushed all that money down a rat hole? According to the CBO document on the original bill, they did not consider any benefit from mitigating Global Warming. I don't think there were any. I don't think these impacts can be calculated even if done by well meaning people. This is the greatest act of faith since Jack climbed the beanstalk.
When will we apologize to con men and miscreants all over the
country that have been jailed for less?
-- Danny L. Newton
Cookeville, Tennessee
We are in the clutches of a clueless leader and a rogue Congress.
Barack Obama is our version of Hugo Chavez, just as FDR was our
version of Mussolini; Pelosi is no more than a would-be Evita.
The irony is that much of the rest of the Western world is moving
toward freedom as we devolve into our version of a Stalinist
gulag aka soft despotism. Secession sounds better every
day.
-- P.A. Melita
Charlottesville, Virginia
The most obvious failure of our political system has been the pure lack of energy policy to support the American people. It is pretty clear that left to their own devices Americans would still be driving SUVs, mini vans and trucks. Americans are being deceived by politicians (in limos) that want us to drive smart cars. The result has been the destruction of our auto industry. The most profitable vehicles for GM and Ford were trucks and SUVs. Think of the savings the American taxpayer would have from a profitable auto market along with other benefits.
I am convinced that the economic slowdown started with $4.00 gas obviously followed by housing and poor judgements of some and terrible oversight by the government. The SEC is an-after-the-fact follow-up-and-punish system with little, if any, proactive movement.
Outside of New York and California, two examples of how not to run government, the American people have been mislead and done a disservice. We want what we want. Cheap energy to live our lives. Anyone who owns the following has been hurt: boats, ATVs, Motorcycles, RVs, campers, trailers, dirt bikes, etc. The entertainment and hobbies of middle America are being taken away. The retirement desires of of our seniors are also being stripped away by those who care little for the heart and soul of America. Our government policies are driven by a few, hurting many.
When and if the people relize that their jobs and lifestyles are
being destroyed by our leaders, I fear the results.
-- Dale
I would suggest that there are at least two ways in which the messiah can assist in energy conservation: Lose the teleprompters -- since they are turned on every time he speaks, and by definition for long periods before he deigns to present himself, I submit there would be significant savings.
Stop the traveling: every time he finds himself in a crack he
jumps in his private 747 and disappears.
-- C.D. Lueders
Melbourne, Florida
RELIGION AND THE FREE MARKET
Re: Thaddeus
G. McCotter's Exclusive:
Grand Inquisitor Endorses Obama Health Plan:
Letter to the Editor View all comments (17) | Leave a comment
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Old Texican| 7.3.09 @ 1:23PM
James Noble
Thank you. That was the most succinct, and thoughtful post I have read today.
You stepped back from the pointless grumbling and took it to the conclusion.
brrrrr...chill bumps!
billy| 7.4.09 @ 5:34AM
I say again.
Our elected officials need a history lesson.
Why did we tell the king of England (one of the most powerful men in the world) to take a hike 233 years ago today?
DoS_Conservative| 7.4.09 @ 10:32AM
"I don't usually read The American Spectator any more, though I do return occasionally to gloat. "
--Paul Dorell
I think Mr. Dorell needs to go back on hiatus because his letter is absolutely nonsense. He makes some hysterical claims how totalitarianism is great. It takes a liberal to praise totalitarianism. He has a great role model in the White House.
First, his claim that government controlled healthcare systems are more economical and effective than our current system of private insurance. Economical? Not to the tax payers who fund it. Perhaps to the government since they constantly deny treatment; therefore, they are not paying for it. As a Foreign Service Officer in the Department of State, I have lived overseas many years and have experienced government run healthcare first hand. I would not trade our current system for it. It is not great. Besides my problems dealing with that system, I have had two friends diagnosed with cancer while in Europe. The government run health care in Europe told them they had to wait 6 weeks just to talk about possible treatment options for their cancer. Then would have to wait just to get on the treatment program afterwards. They came back to the US and were immediately on treatment within days of returning to the US. If they waited in the European system, they would probably not be cured today. Also, those with money all pay for higher medical care at special hospitals for the well to do. They all know if you want quality healthcare, you pay for it out of pocket.
Second, his claim that the Chinese are on the right track in trying to control fertility rates when over population is a global crisis is just insane. If they are on the right track since they instituted their one child policy, then why is it that their population continues to increase? As someone who has lived in China for a couple of years, I can tell you. Because when the Chinese have girls, they continue to either kill them (infanticide), or abandon them in an orphanage so they can continue to try for a boy. Also, those Chinese with money can just pay the government to be an exception to the one child policy. Or perhaps I misread Mr. Dorell's point. Perhaps he was praising the Chinese population control mechanism of executing criminals for petty crimes as pickpocketing. Or massacring minority populations that don't agree with the Politburo. I guess the Chinese are on the right track. As a liberal, Mr. Dorell probably thinks this is a wonderful way to quell dissent.
Finally, Mr. Dorell blames the current financial crisis on too little regulation. He acts as if no regulation existed and caused this crisis. The truth is that if Congress (the overseers of the regulators) actually did their job and enforced the regulation already on the books, instead of catering to their special interest groups, we probably wouldn't be in the mess we are in today.
I think Mr. Dorell needs to continue to not read the Spectator and go back to his Huffington Post and Daily KOS blogs with the other brain washed sheeple who believe this nonsense.
Paul Dorell| 7.6.09 @ 11:44AM
DoS_Conservative,
You can rest assured that I don't intend to become a regular on this site. It was always fun stir the pot during Bush's second term, but that's old hat now. However, I will respond to some of your comments.
Studies have shown that the total per capita cost to the citizens of France for health care is about half of that of Americans, and that on balance the results in terms of infant mortality and other measures are better. I'm not saying that this applies to the poorer countries of Europe. I realize that there are waiting periods in some countries, and that treatment isn't always immediately available. As an individual, that would be undesirable, but for the country as a whole, it would be beneficial. One of the reasons why our health care system is the most expensive in the world per capita is that people are over-treated. In my opinion, it is appropriate in many instances to allow people to die rather than spend hundreds of thousand of taxpayer dollars to extend their lives by a few months. That is the norm here, and the current system has no internal mechanism to correct it. If immediate treatment is what particularly irks you, with any system that we're likely to legislate, you will still be able to get it - at the right price out of your own pocket. I do not commend Congress for their conduct over the last few years, but at least they're trying to move in the right direction now.
Regarding China, I was not applauding their human rights violations. Nor was I applauding the effectiveness of their attempt to control their population growth. I was applauding the fact that the government is attempting to prevent a disaster to their country that would also spill over and affect every corner of the globe. What I'm saying is that in principle, there is nothing wrong with the government regulation of the number of offspring that a couple my bear.
Regarding the financial crisis, if you had read my letter carefully, you would have noticed that I mentioned lack of enforcement as one of the causes.
Regarding my choices of reading, I do not read the Huffington Post or Daily Kos, though I usually agree with Paul Krugman, who has perhaps got a bit of a big head from his Nobel prize in economics.
As far as Obama is concerned, I'm happy with the job he's done so far and shudder to think what would have happened to this country with McCain-Palin in office. Obama is on track to become one of the greatest presidents in American history. The readers of The American Spectator now make up one of the wackiest fringes in American politics, but I don't imagine it will die any time soon, as it's still well funded.