Published: October 06, 2009 07:36 am      

Letters to the Editor: October 6, 2009

Look at how much is publicly funded

I thank Stephen Gayle for his letter on Sept. 22. He made an excellent point about public services, those services that are considered so necessary to modern life that their provision is usually seen as a moral issue _ food, water, safety, education, health care.

I think the list should be continued. Would the people who are participating in these "Tea Party" protests against health care reform turn away the fire truck or the police because they are publicly funded? Maybe they want to go back colonial days when fire protection was provided by private companies _ if you didn't pay, your house burned.

Do they use public libraries? Use a town swimming pool or camp in a state or national park? If they had a child going to a state university, would they volunteer to pay more to make up the part of the tuition that is covered by taxes?

Do they want safe water in their home, or should town water supplies be up for bid to private companies that need to make a profit? Do they think we should put food safety into the hands of the private sector also _ Cargill or DuPont? Would they turn down new medication or treatments for diabetes or heart disease because the research was funded by taxes? Not go to a hospital or clinic that was publicly funded?

The Tea Party "movement" is a creation of big corporations and the right-wing media. The Republican Party and big business have become synonymous. They want less taxes, less oversight and fewer regulations, for their own profit. They've deceived a lot of people into a way of thinking that benefits them, and hidden their role in that deception.

Deborah Blue

Oneonta

Rep. Wilson such wonderful influence

Imagine my delight when my 10-year-old granddaughter, Emily, shouted out, "You lie!" during a school assembly when her principal stated that students who study hard get good grades. Like, where is this guaranteed in any state or federal law? When she interrupted with that brazen challenge, I knew she could become a true leader.

Sure enough, she has now decided to run for fifth-grade class representative. After she made a phone call to the principal's secretary saying she was sorry, she raised some campaign money and support from kids who admire her for her disrespect, oops, I mean her bold honesty.

Emily's preparing to score more points by yelling the same words at the next school assembly when the local police chief tells the students if they commit a crime they'll go to jail. She'll have someone video her outburst so she can share it with all her fans and supporters on YouTube.

She tells me that you just can't trust what anyone says these days, so who needs civility? Get with it, ol' grandma, good manners and respect are sooo retro. I'd bet that at church next Sunday, she'll feel like yelling something at the preacher. There's no puttin' a lid on her now.

Thanks Rep. Joe Wilson. Your behavior inspires so many.

Grace Smith

Oneonta