Help grandparents who are helping our children

The Herald-Leader published new Census data showing that the number of Kentucky children living with someone other than a parent has jumped dramatically in the past 10 years. Quite often that "someone" is a grandparent.

Families have always needed extended family and caring neighbors. My own grandmother was a loving and stable presence in my often chaotic family.

The issues families face today make it even more imperative that individuals and institutions support them. To be truly family-friendly in America, we must connect the dots in our communities, because the dots are related: Education, health, jobs, faith/spirituality, fiscal responsibility, addictions and other influences all have a strong impact on families — and whether those families can survive intact.

When the traditional family is broken and grandparents come to the rescue, we must help them. Children who are abandoned by their parents are hurt, they are vulnerable and they are voiceless. Older adults, and not just their grandparents, must speak out on their behalf.

Generations United/Seniors4Kids does just that. We are people 50 and older who advocate on behalf of our young. We push for legislation and public policies that help ensure children have a chance to make it, despite the odds. We seniors have a great deal of political clout. Let's put it to good use.

Why should generations unite? Because we are stronger together.

Ann Garrity

Member, Generations United/Seniors4Kids

Lexington

Economic basics

I am not an economist. But I can see that current economic advice is not working, even making the economy worse.

For example, low taxes are supposed to be good for the economy. The benefits for the rich were supposed to "trickle down" to the most humble citizen. Instead, the income gap is growing in very unhealthy ways.

Low taxes create unemployment. Witness the states, counties and cities that laid off workers because of deficits. Some of these people — such as police, fire, teachers — are a key to our quality of life.

Another strategy is to help business and banks with special tax breaks. This is supposed to create jobs, but many are sitting on the money and not creating jobs. Some businesses are shipping work and offices to other countries in order to save money. This practice not only hurts the unemployed but also the business that wants to market in America.

If there is an answer, and I think there is, it is to pay attention to people. If people are doing well, they will spend more, pay more taxes and help the community.

If people are not doing well everyone will suffer, as will the economy.

Henry Ford had it right. He raised the pay of his employees so that they could afford to buy an automobile. It worked.

Perhaps if we could help people earn closer to a living wage they would live better and buy more. That would create many jobs and even help business.

Richard M. Royalty

Berea

No place for children

On the Sept. 27 Herald-Leader: Thumbs up to the article about Run the Streets, the YMCA program that encourages kids to get interested in running for fun and exercise.

Thumbs down to the photo and story about the pizza-eating contest at the Jessamine Jamboree which had divisions for 12-to 18-year-olds and 11-and-younger. The winner downed six slices of pizza in 6 minutes. That adults would set up such a contest for kids, during Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, no less, is hard to fathom.

Anita Courtney

Chairperson,Tweens Nutrition and Fitness Coalition

Lexington

Jobless youth in turmoil

I call it the death of the American dream, for our young. New York Mayor Bloomberg said, "We have a lot of kids graduating college, can't find jobs. That's what happened in Cairo. That's what happened in Madrid. You don't want those kinds of riots here."

I say it's time to take these steps. We need to march on Washington, all of us, let us make no distinction in class or race when we get there but let us go for the sake of our children. For every child and young adult is at risk of losing their American Dream, of losing good schools, of facing hunger, jail time, of not finding jobs, to this climate of failure. We need to be heard, to pursue our constitutional rights.

Rita MacDonald

Lexington

Teachers, not iPads

Now we see public high schools are incorporating iPads into their classes. Some may see this as a milestone in technological advancement; however, I disagree.

The iPad may have come a long way but it cannot replace the one-on-one interaction between teacher and student. There are certain classes in which I believe an iPad would not be an effective tool, such as math classes. How is an iPad going to teach students math, or chemistry for that matter? It's not going to give students the one-on-one help that they need.

Teachers have always been the key to students' achievement in education, but now iPads are starting to work their way in. Before you know it there won't be teachers and all students will be taught by a computer. Is that the society you want your child to grow up in?

Allison Jones

Versailles

Let's get an NBA team

We Lexingtonians are always looking for a home team to cheer on. We wait patiently all summer for football season to roll around to cheer on our mediocre football team to another 6-6 season. Deep down we are all basketball fans here in Lexington which is why I want to see an NBA team brought to town.

The Kings had threatened to move if Sacramento doesn't come up with a new arena. We should spring at the chance to get them here if they can't make that happen. The Kings in Sacramento with the 29th lowest attendance still have a revenue of $102 million, and we all know the diehard fans of Lexington would pack an arena on a nightly basis. Especially if we could hold onto hometown hero Demarcus Cousins.

Chris Walker

Lexington

Radar's no big deal

I wonder how much Touchstone Energy pays T.G. Shuck on WKYT to say "state's most powerful doppler radar" five to seven times a night. Talk about overuse of a phrase. Please. Not many folks actually care how powerful it is.

There was a weatherman in the 1960s and '70s named Frank Faulconer who was one of the best weather people we've had. He didn't have all those toys that people have today, but he got it right more times than not, something I can't say about anyone these days. Brad James was another one who was pretty good.

Shuck, people really don't care, just get the weather right.

Pete Horine

Lexington