Comments (0) | |

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

This is Viewpoints for Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

Who oversees the czars?

I see America has czars who control our banks and car industry, and are trying to get our health care to be controlled by the government. I have searched the United States Constitution, and there is no mention of czars who have no oversight from Congress and answer only to the president.

If you read the constitutions of Russia and America, they are very close in concept. This is a fact 99 percent of America does not know. The difference is the way America interprets our Constitution, compared to Russia. There have been czars in Russia for decades, yet in the Clinton years, Clinton started with a drug czar. No one noticed, but that was a huge mistake, with no oversight from all Americans. The fact is, there must be a balance in power, and at this time there is none. If you look at the government as a whole, it has been a failure for 23 years, since 1986 in the Reagan period, when America became a debtor nation. Today, America owes communist China more than $2 trillion and Japan $1.7 trillion. If the American dollar falls as it has to the tune of 38 percent since 2000, America will no longer be a superpower in any way other than our weapons. This is America’s wake- up call.

— Ken Jones

Macon

A better analogy

The analogy between pre-existing conditions with health insurance and flood insurance might be drawn this way: Insisting that health insurance companies cover people even if they have problems that started before coverage is like insisting that property insurers cover the home you currently have on your property on the date you begin your insurance coverage, rather than only covering a house you plan to build sometime in the future.

— Cathy Morris

Dublin

Shows hail volunteering

Stars from the four major broadcast networks, ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC, will join together to encourage viewers to tune in to an unprecedented week of television from Oct. 19–25. As part of Entertainment Industry Foundation’s (EIF) iParticipate national initiative to promote service and volunteering, several television shows will feature volunteer community service in their storylines.

EIF is mobilizing the entire entertainment community around the ground-breaking, multi-year iParticipate campaign, which promotes a new way of thinking about volunteer service and seeks to persuade millions more Americans to volunteer regularly.

The goal of the initiative is to encourage everyone to serve in his or her community. In these challenging times, schools, churches and community-based organizations need your help. Volunteer Macon will help individuals, groups and families find ongoing opportunities or a volunteer project that will offer meaningful service to our community. It’s as easy as a phone call (478-742-6677), an e-mail (volmacon@bellsouth.net) or looking us up on the web (www.handsonmacon.org).

Tune into your favorite shows the week of Oct. 19-25 to celebrate volunteer service.

— Gigi Rolfes

Executive director, Volunteer Macon Inc.

Kudos to companies

Harold Goodridge wrote an excellent column about how dishonesty in service will destroy a business and even put a cloud over an entire industry.

I want to lift up three Macon companies in the auto repair business which, in my experience, have owners and employees who combine integrity and competence. These companies are Yancey Brothers Tire, Mercer Auto Care and Chapman Transmission.

My family was in need of an additional vehicle, and my brother-in-law graciously provided one for us. The vehicle ran fine, but had a couple of problems. 1) The climate control was stuck on high heat — high fan. Not so good in July. 2) The center console stick shift handle had come off.

I took the car to the dealership, which charged me $89.99 to let me know that the charge to fix the climate control would be at least $489 and to replace the stick shift handle would cost $379. I did not want to put that kind of money into the car, so I decided to live with the issues.

Later, the starter switch broke in the steering column. Some folks at John Wesley Villas recommended Yancey Brothers Tire as a reliable auto repair shop, so I took the car to have my oil changed and to see if they could help me out. Here are the results: Yancey solved my climate control system problem by simply replacing a fuse — no charge. Yancey recommended Mercer Auto Care to fix the starter switch, and in spite of running into some unexpected trouble which resulted in more cost to them, Mercer Auto Care fixed the problem and lived up to their original cost estimate to me. Yancey also recommended Chapman Transmission for a transmission checkup. The Chapman folks checked out my transmission, which was fine, and sent me on my way — no charge.

When I got into my car, they had reattached the stick shift handle without being asked to, and my transmission sure seems to shift a lot smoother. My heartfelt thanks go out to the fine people at Yancey Brothers, Mercer Auto Care and Chapman Transmission for a job truly well done.

— Jim Waters

Chaplain, The Methodist Home

Why accept the prize?

President Obama said he was surprised and deeply humbled after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but then went on to say that he didn’t deserve the award. Then why accept it? The fact that he is going to donate the prize money to charity is commendable, though.

— Glenn Gibble

Bonaire

Praise for Republicans

If you have never read the online comments to the daily Viewpoints, it can be a real eye-opener.

I wrote a letter congratulating President Obama for his Nobel Peace Prize, and someone wrote “he has never praised a Republican.” Did someone forget my letters in The Telegraph praising Sen. John McCain, President George Herbert Walker Bush or Meghan McCain?

Sen. McCain suggested Vice President Dick Cheney should testify before Congress. Bush said Judge Sonia Sotomayor deserved a fair hearing to be a U.S. Supreme Court justice and Meghan McCain had the courage to criticize conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham instead of acting like a zombie follower of all conservative talk shows.

I am writing to praise all three again for demonstrating leadership in the Republican Party. Let us just hope that other Republicans will break with the stated goals of party leaders and Fox News of disrupting the current presidential administration and America.

— Daniel Schlafer

Byron

Working with the police

The local NAACP is becoming a scary organization. I am afraid to go and share any problems with the organization. Imagine this. You share some concerns with the NAACP and it may get back to the police chief or the sheriff.

I am not upset with the NAACP marching with the police or sheriff. I just don’t feel like its an organization working for the people. If you lived in some of the neighborhoods where the NAACP has marched and were distrustful of the police department, would you come out and share it with the NAACP if it is walking with the Sheriffs Department?

Also, why is the NAACP filing briefs in court? If it was close to the police chief and the powers that be, it would have known the city was seeking to discontinue its preference for African-Americans.The local NAACP will benefit from less press conferences and more from trying to help people. The local NAACP has no real influence in the black community.

— Theresa Habersham

Macon

Admitted bias

I’d like to use this public forum to issue an apology. You see I didn’t vote for President Obama. I don’t agree with a lot of his policies. Up until now I thought it was because I’m a thinking, semi-intelligent informed voter.

But thanks to former President Carter, Catherine Meeks and others, I have seen the light. I must be a racist. And I am deeply sorry.

After reading Dr. Meeks’ column, Sept. 16, it occurred to me that according to her logic, disagreement equals racism, and that throughout our nation’s history many groups have been discriminated against.

When F.D.R. was in office, guys in wheelchairs from New York took a big hit. With all the opposition to the New Deal, there might have even been some charges of socialism thrown about.

Cowboys have been bashed by the racist opposition for years L.B.J. is a good example, with all those prejudiced anti-war protesters chanting outside the White House. There was plenty of anti-cowboy sentiment in Congress when Ronald Reagan was in office. And lets not forget the most recent bronco buster to inhabit the Oval Office, George W. Bush. Remember the “Bush lied they died” bumper stickers? So again, thanks to Dr. Meeks for opening my eyes. I’m mending my ways. I will never oppose a president’s policies again. I just hope we never elect a sex offender to high office. I still have a little bias towards those people.

— Chris Lyles

Macon

All a pox

What would be wrong if Rush Limbaugh owned part of an NFL team? The owners and players are just as two-faced as he is. Taxpayers for decades have paid the cost of stadiums for the NFL. That’s corporate welfare. Rush puts down welfare all the time, yet now he’s rich enough to take advantage of it as an owner.

The NFL allows its logo on clothes, hats and such for a fee, yet turns a blind eye to the fact they are made in places like China and Vietnam by young people, mostly girls, for very little money.

Then there’s the players who say they object to Limbaugh, while at the same time many of them are paid lots of money to endorse shoes that likewise are made in sweat shops overseas.

Would it be alright to your readers if their children as young teens would have to work long hours for very low wages?

Limbaugh? NFL owners? NFL players? I say a pox on them all.

— David Carr

Macon

Prayer for today

Lord, it was good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy statues. If you had not allowed me to see the error of my way, I’d be lost. Your chastisement has brought me closer to you. I’m grateful that you disciplined me as a father corrects his son whom he loves. As I climb my way out of the pit of my iniquity I thank you for holding my hand and strengthening me. In your loving name Jesus. Amen.

— Submitted by Reginald Reeves

Macon

Readers — ministers, priests, rabbis, imams and laypersons alike — are invited to contribute prayers for this daily feature.

Send them to “Prayer,” The Macon Telegraph, P.O. Box 4167, Macon, GA 31213; or by facsimile to 744-4663; or online to letters@macon.com.