Letters to the Editor: Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Published: November 5, 2008

Who will pay?

Regarding "Why do we have a Federal Reserve?” (Associated Press news feature, Oct. 30): Why are unelected officials setting monetary policy for our country? Isn’t this a free-market society where supply and demand and "the invisible hand” should determine the economy’s temperature”? Our national debt is over $10.5 trillion and growing daily. How will we pay for these bailouts, stimulus packages, invasions and foreign aid programs the Federal Reserve is continuously funding, even when a majority of Americans are against them?

The Fed is borrowing trillions of dollars from China and flooding the global market with this paper that isn’t going to be worth a dime! Do our elected officials not understand the concept of inflation? Or do they not care? This article is exactly the type of rhetoric that distracts Americans from what our elected officials are doing to this country. I oppose the mentality that government knows best and urge readers to investigate why the Fed has more power over the economy than any other institution. Shouldn’t the people hold the most power?

Michael McAlvain, Oklahoma City

Where the blame lies

Of all the problems facing us at this critical time in our history, one of the worst and most embarrassing is fraud in our presidential election system. This problem has been getting worse every year and nothing’s being done to correct it. There’s no telling how many different systems we have from state to state for people to cast their votes and just as many ways to count the vote. We’ve been hearing the stories of people registering as many as a hundred or more times to vote. I’m afraid we’ll be looking back to 2008 as the darkest year in our voting history. Congress is where the blame lies, especially when it comes to presidential elections.

Don Spence, Oklahoma City

A sad day

Recently while I was eating at a restaurant on May Avenue, an Oklahoma City bus passed by. On it was an ad completely in Spanish. While visiting Spain last year (and Mexico, extensively over many years), I didn’t see one public transport with an ad in English. It’s a sad day when I can’t understand an ad in my own country.

Mary Rose, Oklahoma City

Skewed priorities

Every day in this country, 4,000 babies are killed through abortion. Since the Roe v. Wade decision, 50 million have been killed. That’s more people than have been killed in all wars combined! Yet a majority of voters are more concerned about the economy than protecting innocent babies. Although the economy is in turmoil, government continues to funnel taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the U.S. No doubt the abortion doctors are worried about the troubled economy, as a failing economy would harm their lavish lifestyles.

Sue Carel, Tuttle

Miles behind

Regarding "Plain and simple: More college grads a must for state” (Our Views, Oct. 28): Not only do we need more college graduates, we need communities these graduates want to live in. Our leaders must focus on attracting the young creative working class that fuels culture and a greater sense of what’s local, authentic and community. Unfortunately, there are many impediments. Oklahoma City has finished last in a number of reports on public transportation and walkable, bike-friendly communities. We’re years away from a viable rail transit system; meanwhile, other cities are miles ahead.

But we do have an opportunity. Oklahoma is poised to be a leader in a clean-energy economy by continuing our production of clean-burning natural gas and propelling a booming renewable energy industry that creates thousands of quality green jobs. We’re already one of the most recession-proof communities with the some of the lowest housing costs in the country and, of course, we have an NBA team. So let’s move toward building more sustainable communities, supporting arts, culture, a diverse set of faith communities and public transportation.

Eric Pollard, Norman

Isn’t it funny?

With the price of gasoline breaking below $2 a gallon, where are all the politicians bellowing at the oil companies about lower prices? U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., actually told an oil company representative in a committee hearing that Congress would "nationalize” the oil companies if prices keep going up.

With the price of oil dropping like a rock, how long will it be before her committee starts complaining the oil companies aren’t making enough money to pay the taxes the government needs to survive? Isn’t it funny how the free market and the law of supply and demand work?

Jim Lawson, Oklahoma City

Unimaginable

In response to Bill Rupert (Your Views, Oct. 27): I can’t imagine our government allowing the Iraqi government to arrest, try and imprison our troops. I feel for our women over there. Arabs don’t have much pity for their own women, let alone for American women. They would find the slightest infraction to imprison an American woman.

How can our troops know all of the laws of that country? How can we stop this? I was in the Women’s Army Corps over 55 years ago. We had guards on our barracks. Now the women are thrown into situations where they’re totally unprotected.

Verna Jones Allen, Oklahoma City

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