Letters to the Editor:
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 10:46 AM PDT
Vote for Sali for Congress
Editor,
How are you going to vote?
This is a question I get about this time every election year. I usually advise voters to go to the party platforms of each party to see how they stand on the issues, especially the social issues.
For instance, the Democratic Party is in favor of “reproductive freedom.” This means they are against the “marriage amendment” that was passed by the voters two years ago in Idaho.
Democrat Walt Minnick, who is running for Congress, even gave $200 to Idaho Votes No. 1, a group that lobbied to try and defeat the marriage amendment, which is certainly an indication he believes in same-sex marriage.
This doesn’t go over well with Idaho voters.
For all of the above reasons, my vote is to re-elect Republican Congressman Bill Sali.
Barbara Forrey
Nampa
Tax cuts are behind large deficits
Editor,
Many people do not seem to know we have a national deficit of more than $10 trillion and quickly climbing after the recent collapse. Three-quarters of that deficit has been run up by our last three Republican presidents: Reagan and the two Bushes.
What many don’t seem to realize is foreign countries own much of our bonds and securities of debt, including hundreds of billions of dollars by just China and India. That means we have to pay them billions in interest every year, and then we have to pay interest to our brokers, investors and stockbrokers who have purchased the U.S. paper.
It doesn’t take much to conclude tax cuts are the major reason for our deficits since all three Republican presidents were great tax cutters, and Republicans everywhere still support tax cuts. Sen. John McCain wants to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, cut corporate taxes, repeal the alternative minimum tax and claims “that raising taxes has never been beneficial.” He has a short memory! Ronald Reagan was running up huge deficits until he raised the Social Security Tax from 21⁄2 percent to 6 percent and then insisted the money go into his treasury. This cut down his deficit during his last years in office and aided in giving him a successful administration. President Clinton also raised the taxes on the wealthy by 2 percent, which he claimed would balance his budget. He was right! He turned over a surplus of more than $300 billion dollars to President Bush’s treasury.
McCain says he “will balance the budget in four years.” He is blowing smoke — not with his program of tax cuts and staying the course in Iraq.
The deficit has to increase by trillions with estimates as high as $8.5 trillion over 10 years according to Jonathan Cohn in “The New Republic,” and that was before the recent Wall Street collapse. Whether it will create more jobs in China and India is debatable.
At least we used to borrow from the American people. During World War II, we ran up a deficit of about $220 billion. Well, more than 70 percent of that was owed to the American people who purchased war bonds.
William A. Kaatz
Ontario
Vote yes for Ontario school bond
Editor,
This November the patrons of 8C School District will be asked to vote for a school bond once again.
In the 34 years I have lived in Ontario, there have been many school bonds attempted, but to the best of my memory only one passed, and that was 29 years ago.
In looking back, there was always a particular problem or multiple problems with each bond, and the same problems seem to crop up again and again. With that in mind, a committee of citizens has painstakingly put together a bond to update and rebuild our schools, avoiding the previous problems as much as possible.
However, any bond, no matter how modest, is a request for money and, therefore, a potential burden on the taxpayer.
As we all know, the economy has recently turned down, and, even in the best of times, rural communities such as ours struggle financially.
Yet we cannot stand by and watch our schools, which are integral to the community, lapse into disrepair.
As a friend even older than myself explained without hesitation, we have to invest in our community even if it hurts. Now the community in the form of its schools is calling on us for help.
We can pretend there is no need, decide to do nothing and just go on our way, but, in the end, the students and the community at large will be the poorer. Ontario is a wonderful community with a proud history.
I urge you to please join me in voting for the bond and making our community an even better place.
Andrew C. Peterson, M.D.
Ontario
McCain the best candidate for America’s future
Editor,
World War III is inevitable and will start in the near future, no matter who becomes our next president. We cannot prevent it. However, I believe John McCain is the man who knows how to handle this crisis. He will use whatever means necessary to win this war.
We need to strike first, strike hard and take no enemy prisoners. However, innocent civilian women and children should be spared whenever possible.
We know any agreement that is made by the enemy is worthless. Their word cannot be trusted, and they will stop at nothing to destroy us. They’ll shake your hand and stab you in the back at the same time.
Russia is trying to establish its empire again and has challenged us, so we need to keep our guard up.
Exercise your right to vote on Nov. 4, and go to the polls. It is your American duty.
Jack Streeter
Veteran WWII, Korea and Vietnam
Mountain Home
Support Dancer, Alley for Oregon seats
Editor
At some point, we, as Americans, must put the welfare of our country ahead of our personal interests.
Our forefathers knew the creation of and sustainability of our country was dependent upon them and their successors placing country before self. This starts with you and individual sacrifice at the very grass roots of our society and grows with the coming together of patriots from every walk of life and corner of our nation.
If we fail to come together as a collection of individuals standing for the good of our country, we will continue to have debacles such as the economic and social crises which have been foisted upon us.
Those who forget what our country is and put self and personal interest above the welfare of those they serve must be confronted and defeated. Getting involved when it is “convenient” or when you “don’t have anything more important to do” will be too late.
I see and hear those excuses every day. If you don’t believe you can make a change, then you don’t believe in the system created by our founding fathers, and, by that belief, failure becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.
Two men have taken it upon themselves to stand up to the liberal machine in Salem and run for two of the most important positions in our state, secretary of state and state treasurer. Allen Alley, a talented and highly-experienced businessman is running for state treasurer. I don’t have to tell you what the PERS disaster did to this state. Allen Alley understands a budget and unfunded entitlement programs and will put a stop to crippling liberal guarantees.
Rick Dancer, an honest, solid, fair and conservative man, is running for secretary of state. In 2010, the secretary of state will be handed the job of redistricting our state based on the 2010 census. In 2000, Bill Bradbury redistricted three conservative Republicans entirely out of their house districts. This was and is still gerrymandering.
Our last secretary of state was also responsible for allowing the registration of alien voters by assuring them they could register to vote by using a simple driver’s license that anyone could obtain.
Rich Dancer has a chance to bring integrity back to the secretary of state office.
Tim Smith
Harney County Republican Central Committee Chair
Now is the time to say yes to bond
Editor,
The time has come to give support to the upgrade of our facilities in Ontario. I graduated from Ontario High School in 1953 when the school was brand new. It has served our community well; all of my six children have graduated from this system, as well as many in my immediate family.
I have grandchildren in Ontario and hope that even more of my extended family and immediate family will have updated buildings and facilities to prepare for the future. We are in some trying times and need to be well prepared. I think this will help.
We have a great community, and, when people come to the area for employment or any reason, I would like a system that encourages them to stay. I really don’t know what more to say other than encourage a “yes” vote.
Louis M. Wettstein
Ontario
