The one who hurts
Why does one person have to spoil things for others. Most people I meet while in Traverse City are very nice, but then there is the one who hurts. My very pregnant daughter was at the Horizon Theater painting the display on the window, taking pictures of her work in progress; she stepped back to take another picture and discovered her brand-new camera stolen.
We got it for her (on our limited budget, with the current layoff) to be able to take pictures of her new baby and someone has the nerve to take it from next to her. I can only hope that someone reading this knows or saw something to help her get her camera back, especially since there is no way for the police to help with nothing to go on.
Michelle Mork
Suttons Bay
Hyperinflation the price
Ms. Tobian (letters, May 6) criticizes several states for refusing help from "our president."
She (and her liberal friends) needs to understand that the money offered is not from our president, the U.S. Congress nor from "the rich." It's being stolen (via government deficits) from our children and our grandchildren and their children and grandchildren.
And since the politicians don't have the guts to raise taxes, they'll just print more money.
In 10 years, Ms. Tobian will have to pay $20 for a loaf of bread. In 20 years (maybe sooner), her children will have to pay $100 or $1,000 for a loaf of bread. Yes, most of them will earn $250,000 a year (and be taxed at that income tax bracket) but during hyperinflation, prices always go up faster than wages.
And the poor always get hurt worse than "the rich" since the rich understand what's going on and how to defend themselves.
All Ms. Tobian needs to do is to read any history book. The Germans tried it, the French tried it, the Brazilians tried it and even the Romans tried it. The result is always the same. Government overspending and fiat money simply does not work.
Bob F. Smith
Frankfort
Paper has short memory
Recently the Record-Eagle stated that Senate Republicans should vote to confirm whomever President Obama nominates for the recent Supreme Court vacancy based solely upon qualifications, not ideology. Even for this newspaper, this opinion shows a remarkably short memory. Why did this paper not issue such an opinion when the Democrats were filibustering President Bush's appellate court nominees, or when they were threatening to do the same when Justices Roberts and Alito were up for confirmation?
When it came time for Justice Alito to be confirmed, President Obama himself chose to ignore Alito's obvious qualifications for the court, and instead focused solely on ideology when supporting a filibuster to block Alito's confirmation.
Perhaps the Record-Eagle should again explain why Republicans would not be right to focus solely on ideology when debating President Obama's Supreme Court nomination? It was no problem when President Obama chose to do so a few years ago, yet now we are to judge nominees solely on qualifications and not ideology.
To label the Republicans as the "party of no" when talking about judicial confirmation proceedings and not do the same for the party that invented the term "Borked" shows just how liberally slanted this newspaper has become.
Chauncey Husted
Suttons Bay
Embarrassed for the city
What's up, Traverse City?
Internationally-renowned folk singer Ani DiFranco performed at the City Opera House in Traverse City April 27. The show, open to all ages, sold out shortly after tickets went on sale.
Porterhouse Productions, the new company that put on the event, offered a cash bar -- and beer apparently begged more attention to some audience members than the music.
Throughout the show several groups of people carried on loud conversations; DiFranco had to ask the crowd to "listen to your fellow citizens," since Ani fans' incessant attempts to shush the chatterers were hopeless. Obnoxious women danced wildly and screamed during soft, slow songs while burly men with beer cups in hand refused the pleas of Opera House security to remain silent during the show.
So: What's up, TC? Really? How many artists make the effort to tour this far north at all? Not many. We should be grateful that someone with such an impressive repertoire performed for us, so let's show respect where respect is due. The behavior was unacceptable, and apologies are certainly in order.
I was disappointed with the lack of maturity -- and I'm sick and embarrassed for this city after my experience at that show.
Allison Peters
Traverse City
Out of loving concern
If you are a senior citizen whose family members are kindly suggesting that you stop driving your car, please give a lot of weight to their advice. They are expressing loving concern for you and others.
We have three "kids" in Traverse City who unanimously agreed that I should no longer drive our car. My wife, Carleen, voluntarily gave up driving recently. Now it's my turn.
The issue is my safety and the safety of potential victims of my impaired perceptions, slow responses, impaired vision and hearing, confusions, some of which are caused by medications, and general cognition problems.
In my case the answer was to quit driving. It was a painful decision. We sold the car recently. I was afraid that I would cry when the buyer drove out of our garage, but I didn't. I knew that my decision was right. It was the Lord's will.
I appreciate the editors of the Traverse City Record-Eagle for allowing me to use this medium to publish this message.
Wayne Lemmen
Traverse City
Keep an eye on teaching
First of all, I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Silver's (May 12) letter.
But there's more to be said on this subject, like who is pushing the agenda.
I believe it to be the MEA. The kids of today are taught that liberalism is the way. It is if we want a socialistic type of government.
Just watch the mock elections that some teachers promote in classroom settings.
So I believe that is how Obama got so many votes from the youth of this state.
It would be beneficial to our kids and ourselves to keep close watch as to what is being taught to our kids.
Ben Cathcart
Cadillac
