Email letters, August 3, 2012

By Staff
Friday, August 3, 2012

Chick-fil-A ought to practice what it preaches

I am embarrassed to be living in a community that turns out in such force to support a business whose management has exhibited blatant prejudice against those who would like to have the same privileges every citizen of the United States should be able to enjoy.

The right to free speech protects chick-Fil-A’s statement, but it is hateful, nonetheless. Chick-Fil-A has a sign in front of its business that says, “Love All, Serve All.” It should practice what it preaches.

PEGGY SHAW
Grand Junction

Economy historically shows better growth under Dem leadership

We read and hear so much about which party will handle the U.S. economy the best. Here is some history that we should consider.

Democrats have been in the white House for 22 years and the Republicans 28 during the last 50 years. The Democrats created 42 million jobs, the Republicans 24 million.

The gross domestic product grew 4.1 percent under the Democrats and 2.7 percent under the Republicans, while real income grew 2.2 percent under the Democrats and 0.6 percent under the Republicans.

Stock-market returns also grew more under the Democrats, 992 percent, compared to 109 percent under the Republicans. The annualized stock-market returns were 2.7 percent under the Republican and 11 percent under the Democrats.

If you are a member of the working class, you should know that you did better in the last 50 years under the Democratic leadership, but so did big business and the financial markets. So, the next time you hear Republicans talk about how bad a Democrat in the white House could be, please consider the facts.

JEFF PHILLIPS
Whitewater

Truman an example of failed businessman but great president

In letters to the editor on Sunday, July 29, Rodney Johnson seems to miss a point himself. Romney and Team’s wild successes came at a cost for many Americans.

I congratulate their success, but their actions traded American jobs for Romney and Team’s profit. Many Americans can’t or choose not to afford, associate or identify with teams with that view.

Maybe Romneycare was a good starting point; many people in Massachusetts support it.

A Republican, I know there’s more to running a country than being a successful businessperson. Harry Truman comes to mind; he was a failed haberdasher who finished a war, stopped MacArthur from fully attacking China and initiated the Berlin Airlift. It’s about people. too, not just profit.

It pains me to remember our former president say he doesn’t know where Bin Laden is and doesn’t care. It’s country building to stand up and point out those actions cannot be accepted in America, and a lot of Al Qaeda top dogs are gone.

It’s also country building to make new agreements with former U.S.S.R. countries to rein in and control leftover radioactive materials on a trip that was billed as nothing but apologies. I like a president who’s respected by other countries.

Congress has had big negative influences in our sagging economy and bears responsibility, too. Jobs, baby, jobs. Why wait so long to approve a jobs bill?

Who does offer demonstrated success in such a global environment? I’m pulling for America’s team.

Charles Ashby’s Tabor article on Tuesday, July 31, was somewhat informative. Why didn’t Ashby follow the five Ws of journalism and list the backers supporting the lawsuit, or did I just miss the information previously? It was stated they are local and state officials; identifying those elected officials would have made the article considerably more informative.

RALPH HICKS
Clifton

Credit reservoir system for good water flow during drought

I read with interest that the Yampa River is running so low that water temperatures threaten the survival of fish in the river. Consideration is being give to releasing water from upstream reservoirs to save the fish.

It is reminiscent of 10 years ago during the previous drought during a family vacation downstream at Echo Park on the Yampa. Flows were so low that my six-year-old son waded across the Yampa and only got wet to his knees. You see, environmentalists are so proud of the Yampa being one of the last uncontrolled rivers in the West. Yet, at times of drought it almost ceases to flow while the adjacent, highly controlled Green River continues to flow due to releases from the dreaded Flaming Gorge Reservoir.

Thanks to the environmentalists, hated reservoir water continues to flow for power generation, irrigation, recreation and municipal use in river systems through the West. The reservoirs are doing exactly what they were designed to do. It is ironic that the iconic Yampa may need some of this stored water for its very survival.

DENNIS GORSETT
Grand Junction

Pace would ignore majority’s opinion about health care

Poor old Bill Grant and Sal Pace live in an alternative universe. After reading Pace’s commentary on his take of Obamacare, I had little doubt that he would have been standing arm in arm with President Obama and Nancy Pelosi in support of it.

He would have been one of the “pass this bill to find out what is in it” crowd, glibly mouthing that this bill is going to allow you to keep your physician, is going to be cheaper, and is not going to add to the national debt. He did hit on the solution when he pointed to what the local and state governments are doing here in the Grand Junction area with health care.

Health care from a centralized federal government is not the answer. If it takes 50 votes to repeal this bad piece of legislation, then so be it. A large majority of people in the country and in this district wants Obamacare repealed, and Nancy Pelosi and Sal Pace would work against that majority.

In Grant’s universe it is only “fair” (a code word for socialism) to tax the top 2 percent of earners more because if it had not been for the government they would not have able to earn their money, even though this group already pays more than 40 percent of the total tax bill.

After all, only the government can grow the economy and create jobs and these 2-percenters are getting ahead in spite of the governments best efforts to prevent them from doing so. The economic uncertainty has been created by the Obama regime and the Democratic Party because of their belief that somehow they can tax and spend their way out of the economic mess we are in.

Rep. Tipton is doing what those of us who voted for him want him to do. It is not a very difficult thing to understand. We want Congress to cut taxes and make the U.S. a more business-friendly place. More importantly, we want Congress to cut spending.

MICHAEL HIGGINS
Grand Junction

Those making wise health choices to be taxed the same as those who don’t

Recently, I was able to speak to Ellen Steiner with Sen. Michael Bennett’s office. Steiner answers questions about the Affordable Care Act. I appreciate Sen. Bennett’s office for providing an avenue for questions about the ACA.

My specific question was regarding any provisions for those who live health-conscious, low-risk lives, who are little or no burden on the health care system. Will there be any provisions or breaks for them, or will the tax burden be the same on them as on those who are less health conscientious?

The answer was that, no, the ACA makes no distinction between those who eat healthily and exercise regularly, and those who jeopardize their health by smoking, drinking and undisciplined eating. Apparently, all will be taxed equally. I could afford the tax, I suppose, if I cancel my gym membership, but how ironic would that be?

If Steiner has misinformed me, I would appreciate someone offering correction. However, my conclusion is that, under the ACA, taking personal responsibility for our health means nothing. I am fully supportive of affordable health care, but if this is going to be handled by the government, it should not be this government.

TIMOTHY KING
Grand Junction

Like business owners, Olympians might not get credit for accomplishments

A quick thought for readers of The Daily Sentinel to ponder while they are enjoying the Olympics. Note that none of those athletes accomplished what you observed. Somebody else made that happen.

It’s the same reasoning that Obama applied when he said, “If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.”

Either case is utter nonsense and an insult.

RICK L. COLEMAN
Grand Junction