Nothing gained by writing your representatives
One has to wonder what is accomplished by writing to our elected officials.
Sen. Mitch McConnell responded to my letter saying "I give each correspondence the attention it deserves." But, since I have written to him in opposition to the policies he's promoting, my letter apparently does not deserve much attention.
I have written encouraging him to "promote legislation that requires shared sacrifice by all Americans" and he sends me a letter saying the "Administration and their allies (have promoted) massive government takeovers."
There is no reference to the concept of "shared sacrifice," or compromising for the greater good.
I refer to how reducing expenditures for public schools and colleges and other public services destroys the fabric of a democratic society. McConnell ignores any reference to education or other public services and writes "how Americans like you have made their opinions known and ... we now have more Senators who stand against government expansion." (Except when it comes to keeping alive funding for plane engines the Defense Department has recommended be canceled, or for a tax subsidy for the Kentucky horse industry.)
When one writes their representative it would be great to get a little honesty. Why can't McConnell's staff produce a letter they send to people who oppose his policies that explains why he believes they are wrong?
At least an honest letter would say that his sole purpose is to defeat Barack Obama in 2012.
William Stolte
Berea
Aiding terrorists
I hear from the TV news that the two Iraqis arrested in Bowling Green on terrorism charges were getting assistance in rental housing and probably everything else they could get.
Why were these two individuals not screened thoroughly as are many American citizens? How could such a mistake get through the system? I'm sure there must have been a red flag somewhere. But they sweep it under the rug and go on.
Someone needs to be looking closer to make sure such a mistake is never made again.
And as for them getting extra help, why not give it to the hungry children in America or to senior citizens who deserve it so much more than these two people did?
This is a scary situation for all of us in the land of the free. It seems as if our government takes better care of the refugees than it does citizens. What's wrong with this picture?
Betty Tatum
Burgin
Simple solution
This so-called revolution in air transportation can be easily and simply financed ("New air traffic control system, 'NextGen,' at crossroads," July 5).
As your article stated, 737 million people will fly this year and more than a billion will fly over the next decade. Let's say we average 800 million passengers per year until 2025.
Let's say the passenger — who will be safer and save time — foots the bill.
We can assume Congress does not adopt my program until 2013. Doing the math, then, from Jan. 1, 2013 to the end of 2025 gives us 13 years to collect revenue to finance this much-needed aviation technology standard.
Thirteen years times 800 million passengers per year gives us 10.4 billion.
The article stated it would cost $42 billion to develop and build NextGen through 2025. So, if you divide the 10.4 billion into the $42 billion you come up with about $4.
I say we raise each ticket price $4 to pay for this safer more reliable, fuel-efficient technology.
The result of not acting on this will be job losses to Europe, Japan, India and China. We cannot afford to continually erode our technological advantages based upon ideological dogma.
If the 1 billion to 7 principle applies to NextGen (every $1 billion spent creates 7,000 jobs), This would result in nearly 300,000 additional, high-tech, good-paying jobs. The additional tax revenue and multiplier effect would add revenue to reduce the deficit at the same time not costing the government one cent.
Robert Hoeller
Lexington
That's the ticket
I've got a great idea to help the city of Lexington balance the budget — increase revenue by enforcing existing traffic laws.
Being a newcomer from Chicago, I'm used to sharing the road with lots of cars. But I've never seen so many drivers fail to use their turn signals, or drive in the dusk or in the rain without their lights on, or make a right turn from the center lane.
I see these traffic offenses every time I'm behind the wheel, even on short trips.
All the city of Lexington has to do is provide our police with big, thick traffic-ticket books and tell our officers to start using them.
Esther Murphy
Lexington
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