Government aid helps everyone, not just the poor

A recent letter writer needs a lesson about the government programs he criticized.

First, he should go to an elementary school on a Monday morning and watch as young children eat heartily because some did not have enough to eat over the weekend.

Better yet, show up after several snow days. I taught school for 27 years, and I know this to be a fact.

Many programs provide for those who are not poor. Food programs for children, infants and women are some of the least costly and most effective of all the government programs. They also are good for the economy.

Last, if the writer is against government handouts, he needs to check in his 5th Congressional District. Many programs, such as an airport for easy access to Washington, D.C., are handed to folks in the district. Maybe they should hand the money back to the federal government.

Charlotte Williams Nefzger

Frenchburg

Protect Israel

Safeguard Israel. Do not be deceived by the deceiver. Israel is to be protected at all costs.

Sue Ayers

Mt. Sterling

Damaged mail

Somehow, Frankfort's Clinton Street U.S. Postal Service postal box has become a bad luck mailbox. Twice within a five-month period, I have had pieces of mail or envelopes sent back to me with the contents missing or damaged.

They were bill payments mailed at the Clinton Street mailbox. Both were messed with or damaged in the Lexington post office sorting machine. Do we now have to worry about the delivery of our mail?

The Postal Service used to be the safest way to go. Not anymore.

Jay Hughes

Frankfort

Addicted to oil

I hear a lot of people talk about drilling for oil like this is the only way to survive. What if companies like BP want you to think that way?

There are other ways to get around. We need to get off oil: like crack, we have to have it. We will have to have it if we keep voting for politicians who take money from oil. That is all they want us to do.

Why don't we try to remember a thing called American ingenuity? What if we make a synthetic gas? I believe it is called ethanol, made from plants farmers could grow.

Kentucky gubernatorial candidate Gatewood Galbraith was way ahead of the curve. I see his frustration. Trying to get Americans off oil is like getting them off crack.

Andy Shuman

Lexington

Keep Newberry

November could possibly see one of the largest turnout of voters in the history of the United States. More people are concerned about our state of the union than ever before, and they rightly should be.

Fiscal responsibility is a thing of the past, and the national debt is so high the budget may never be balanced again. Our dollar is losing value every day. Get ready for the economy to go south again, but worse than in 2008.

Jim Newberry is a mayor who will guide Lexington to fiscal responsibility. He has shown his desire to faithfully perform the duties assigned to him as mayor. He is an intelligent, faithful, family-oriented, honorable and religious man who will represent all of us and our economy.

We need Newberry as our mayor for the next four years to meet the trying times that are coming. He will accept the responsibility and not waver in doing so.

I have known Newberry since he graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law and joined the firm, Fowler, Measle and Bell, where I was a partner.

I believe, from the bottom of my heart, he would never commit any wrongdoing, accept any bribe, say anything to hurt anyone or do anything to downgrade our city.

I shall vote for Newberry, and I encourage all to do the same.

Walter C. Cox Jr.

Lexington

Choose person, not party

Our country is known as the land of the free and the home of the brave. Our state motto is "United we stand, divided we fall."

We have a government made up of Democrats and Republicans. What I am looking for is Americans. We the people are supposed to be represented by those in Washington, but I must ask the question: Are we?

The key word is represented — not ruled. Every voter must ask: Is that person representing my interests in Washington? If not, then vote him or her out.

Let's all join together and vote with one thought in mind: Will that person represent my beliefs and promote what's best for America?

Let's not worry about what party they belong to but make our decision on what they stand for.

Don Hunter

Lexington

A call to action

A recent Newsweek article suggested that "just as the 1969 oil spill near Santa Barbara, Calif., led to the establishment of the Clean Air Act, perhaps this spill will generate the nation's first true clean-energy program."

What an exciting idea. Wouldn't it be great for our president to announce that he would appoint Al Gore to head a program to do this? His book, Our Choice, is the starting point for such a program. This would be a terrific benefit to our country.

Ed Plonski

Russell Springs

Respect for graduates

I agree 100 percent with a June 13 letter. All graduates have a right for their families to hear their name being called and to recognize their accomplishments. What a shame this honor was taken away and can never be given back.

To the group sitting behind us whose cell phones rang continuously and who screamed for every other student whose name was called: There's a difference between exhuberance and rudeness. How unfortunate you were the latter.

I hope the families and friends of 2011 graduating students will show more dignity and respect when it's their child's turn to accept a diploma.

I've always heard you yell out only when it's a surprise. Apparently, there were a lot of surprises at the Bryan Station High School ceremony.

Christie Wethington

Lexington

Ky. environmental crisis

It is not amazing that the horrible accidental oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has the attention of the nation and the world.

However, it is so disheartening to think nothing close to this type of attention is given to the ravages of mountaintop-removal mining, and we do this on purpose, Kentucky author Silas House has eloquently written in his blog, A Country Boy Can Surmise. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Hunter Hensley

Lancaster

Spay, neuter cats

Kitten season is upon us. Please make sure all your cats are spayed and neutered.

If you see an outdoor cat wandering around, call the Humane Society. They'll humanely set a live trap, then return the cat to its owner (after they neuter it).

This will spare our vets the heartbreaking task of putting unwanted kittens to sleep.

Cindy Merrill

Richmond