Not even a fly-over
When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, George Bush was raked over the coals for not touring the disaster area until four days later. Recently, we had massive flooding in Georgia, and they only rated a visit from Vice President Joe Biden. The media covered the vice president's visit but, no negative commentary over the president's noticeable absence.
The 29th of September, American Samoa was hit by a tsunami, killing 32 and leaving 4,000 homeless. Official visits from our head of state? Nah. They don't even warrant a fly-over by the vice president. Has the media asked why?
The White House is quick to make it abundantly clear, and rightly so, that the president can travel and deal with the business of running a country at the same time. Indeed, the president can fly to New York for a "date" with the first lady, can go to Denmark, for a day, to try to get the Olympics for Chicago ... Samoa? I guess he's just too busy.
Today, the lack of a presidential visit to a disaster area no longer causes media outrage. Is that because it's only a territory and not a state? Would Bush have gotten the same pass? Hmm.
Bruce Mikula
Interlochen
Education last
A month into the new school year, my son arrives home with a note from the bus garage. His new estimated time of arrival home in the afternoon is now 25 minutes later than it previously had been. This is due to busing issues at another school.
Thursday he arrived home 25 minutes later than his new ETA. A call to the bus garage was answered with a "be patient, we don't know how late they are running."
Do drivers not have communication with their dispatcher when they are on the road with our children? That should give all of us parents a safe, secure feeling when our children are in the hands of another. Adding more bus stops to established routes to try to have fewer buses on the road does nothing but take away from our kids. The later they get home, the less time there is for homework, social life and family.
Save on buses, but we need more parking decks, business offices built and festivals. People wonder why families are moving away from here; could it have anything to do with the way our children's educations seem to be coming in last in this city?
Shannon Figueroa
Traverse City
Scary stuff
Should deputies (who enforce the law) be held accountable for breaking the law? According to the online poll as of the morning of Oct. 11: 205 yes; 143 no; 3 don't care; 7 not sure.
Scary stuff!
William Hansen
Gaylord
Wake up, America
Wake up, America! If the proposed health care plan is so great then why did our elected officials, both Democrats and Republicans, recently extend their health care plan rather than wait and take the same plan they are proposing for us?
President Obama claims he is going to find tons of wasted money when the government takes over health care. Well, he won't have to look very far if he first looks at the benefits of past and present presidents, congressmen, senators and their wives. And while he is doing that, check out the benefits of their retirement plan as opposed to those of us on Social Security.
GM employees recently lost many benefits, including their health care plans because GM went bankrupt. Our country is deeper in debt than GM ever was and yet our elected officials have not lost their outrageous benefits. Has a bell rung in your head yet? Do you see where we are headed?
Call your congressmen or senator or the White House; ask them if they are willing to go on the proposed plan. I asked that question and got no response; maybe because they don't even know what the bill says yet!
Mary Skarnulis
Rapid City
Parental rights
I want to say that I appreciate the attitude expressed in the "acceptable use" page on the computers available at the Traverse Area District Library.
I am very pleased to find these words: " ... the parents/guardians are held in the highest regard and are respected as the best selectors for their children's library use."
I am very interested in the parental rights amendment and am thankful to find an example of that idea in use at our local library.
Cindy Wilson
Mesick
Do they let them die?
I just read the letter in the Oct. 13 edition from Mr. Terhune regarding the Canadian health insurance and was reminded that earlier this year, I had to go to Munson Hospital for a test; while walking through the parking lot, I came upon a lady who was walking her little dog.
I stopped for a minute to chat and she told me her husband was in the hospital, recuperating from some kind of gastro surgery and they had come over from Canada to have it done. When I asked her why, she said there was a five-year waiting period over there for that type of surgery.
Do we really want that type of health insurance in this country? I certainly don't. Maybe the Canadian government saves money by letting people die before getting the surgery they need.
Marcella Church
Central Lake
The greatest problem
It's time to state the greatest problem facing Americans. It's not the health care crisis. It's not the economy. It's the leadership. For the most part, honorable people do not run for political office.
The qualified problem-solvers are too busy earning a living.
This leaves us with elected officials in Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, who are so beholden to special interest lobbyists they don't have the freedom to make decisions that would truly solve problems.
Furthermore, Congress is so busy flying around the country campaigning for the next election, they don't have the time to study the issues.
Consequently, they depend upon the wisdom and expertise of their staffs, some of whom are recent college graduates.
The president carries the same baggage as Congress except he travels in a bigger plane and he has an even bigger ego.
Sharon Trense
Arcadia
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