For the kids
The arrogant partisanship and irresponsible finger-pointing by our politicians in Lansing for the past several years has virtually stopped Michigan in its tracks. Our economy has suffered; roads are in disrepair; police and fire protection have been greatly diminished; and our schools have suffered dangerous budget cuts, just to name a few.
I would like to issue a challenge to our legislators in Lansing. Starting on the first of April, which is the Month of the Young Child, put aside the "gotcha politics" and work together in true bi-partisanship fashion for one month. Cooperation is not a sign of weakness.
I am asking our politicians to think about how they are affecting the future of our children and of Michigan. One month of teamwork could be a start to solving some of the problems Michigan faces. It could be the beginning of an effort to save our state.
I urge people to contact their senators, representatives and the governor and encourage true bipartisanship during April. It could be the beginning of Michigan's turnaround. Please join me in the effort to save our state. Do it for our kids. They deserve better.
Roxanne Rowley
Manistee
Looking foolish
Well folks, it looks like the Traverse City Board of Education and the teachers' union just can't seem to come to agreement on something as simple as half-days to full days, or 18 extra minutes per day (Record-Eagle Feb. 25).
Good lord folks, this is not rocket science. The district is going broke. Doing anything to save money to eliminate further layoffs is necessary.
Both sides, grab your ears and pull your heads out of the sand; and for God's sake, get back to talking. Do you really know how foolish this makes you both look?
Jay Gearhart
Traverse City
Ask for documentation
In an e-mail to constituents dated Feb. 19, Congressman Dave Camp purports to offer some "facts" on the stimulus package.
As is so often the case with "facts" offered by partisan politicians, only part of the story is told. Yes, Michigan's job losses are high, and yes, unemployment is high. The facts that should concern us, however, are: how much higher would these rates have been in Michigan without the stimulus package? Certainly Mr. Camp has these facts; does he not feel obliged to share them with his constituents in an informational letter ostensibly dedicated to the topic?
People are tired of partisan politics. I urge Mr. Camp, and all Republicans, to work with Democrats in a spirit of cooperation to help make our state, and our country, a better place.
In addition, if Mr. Camp is going to make the statement that "... even Obama's own experts say it's not working," he should provide the names of those experts as well as where a constituent might look to find those statements.
We expect such documentation from 10th-graders writing term papers; perhaps it would not be too much to expect the same from our Congressman.
Tim Johnson
Interlochen
Why so quiet?
Our U.S. senators, Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, have been pretty quiet on tort reform and health insurance. Could it be because both Sen. Levin and Sen. Stabenow list Blue Cross and Blue Shield Insurance among their top two contributors and lawyers and law firms among their top industry contributors? To check the figures, go to: www.opensecrets.org/politicians
Ted Nance
Traverse City
Court a travesty
The recent Supreme Court decision allowing unlimited contributions to those running for political office is absolutely unconscionable.
This is the most obvious party politic decision ever made by the Supreme Court, or a court sworn to be objective and fair.
What a travesty this court is. It has made a mockery of the system put in place by the men who drafted our Constitution.
Mrs. Adelieu Young
Traverse City
Is there enough?
Speaker Rachel Smolker was recently quoted as saying "Biomass is a colossal mistake."
We already have a plant in Cadillac, a proposed one in Mancelona and perhaps Frankfort. In light of this I have several questions for Traverse City Light & Power and Traverse City commissioners.
1. How long before these proposed plants would deplete our area resources. "I think there is plenty," City Commissioner Ralph Soffredine said. You think? Just like Grand Traverse County commissioners "thought" the sewage plant was structurally sound and cost efficient?
2. How many years would it take to regenerate the trees required to sustain these plants?
3. Isn't there a conflict of interest since commissioners Soffredine and Jim Carruthers hold seats on both boards?
Leon Kaiser
Kingsley
A moment of silence
It seems quite disingenuous of Steven Francis, a Jan. 20 contributor to the Forum, to suggest that all religions should be given the opportunity to perform public invocations at governmental meetings "in order to remind public officials of the solemn duties imposed by their offices" when he represents the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF).
The ADF is a group of fundamentalist Christians whose primary goal is to defend the right to hear and speak the "truth" (Christianity) through strategy, training, funding and litigation.
Their purpose of defending public invocations is to provide an avenue -- through governmental meetings -- to proselytize and evangelize.
Although Francis suggests that any religion should be given the opportunity to perform the invocation, I feel he would be offended when the invocation is given by someone representing other beliefs: Buddhism, Krishna, Judaism, Wicca, Hinduism, Taoism, Rastafarian and Humanism, along with a multitude of others.
Maybe it might be a good idea to simply allow for a moment of silence before governmental meetings, instead of public sectarian prayer.
I would hope one's ethics and religious beliefs are strong enough to carry one through a governmental meeting without having to be reminded of one's "solemn duty" with a public prayer.
Jack Lee
Traverse City
