Our Readers’ Views

Give daily commuters a break

Until recently, two of my sons lived here in Battle Ground and worked in Portland. Having to pay the Oregon income tax was bad enough but to have added bridge tolls would have been a crippling hardship. So what’s a solution for those who must cross the river daily for work?

Assuming that modern toll collection methods include readable windshield stickers for better traffic flow, a toll-free sticker for those who prove Oregon income tax payments could be issued by whatever agency will be in charge. It’s those who must pay daily tolls who will be hurt worst and this would get around that serious added financial burden.

Larry McCagg

Battle Ground

Shame on health care reform critics

The end is in sight. Health care reform has occupied our representatives in Washington, D.C., for the past year. The proposed program, while not perfect, will “promote the general welfare” of the people. It will bring the United States into concert with other nations of the industrialized world in caring for the health needs of our citizenry.

There has been a negative outcry by some. They do not represent the majority. They seem to condemn anything the government does excepting the exercise of military force. They miss one of the central themes in our history — the federal government has provided for the rights of the people. Once again it is called upon to provide a basic right, that of health care. The government is not the problem. It is the guarantor of the people’s rights.

Shame on the opposition for its unwillingness to join and shape universal health care. Laud those in office, particularly our president, and all in the body politic who have sustained the effort and accomplished this noble endeavor.

Terrence J. Nelson

Ridgefield

Executive order was wrong strategy

The final tally was 219 yeas, 212 nays which included 34 Democrats. So there is a block of bipartisan House members that did not support this bill. Not one Republican voted for it.

The four or five pro-life Democrats that switched from “no” to “yes” were persuaded by President Obama’s executive order to prohibit public monies for abortion. It was clearly stated in the House debate that an executive order is not superior to the law; it is only a policy instrument. The Republicans’ attempt to add an amendment to prohibit public money for abortions as part of the new law failed. This will override the Hyde Amendment. How can we ask for or expect God’s blessing on this country when our elected leaders put their fist into the face of God? Abortion, except when the life of the mother is in danger, is murder; it’s immoral. It is estimated that elective abortions will increase by 30 percent.

The November elections cannot come soon enough, so that we can bring positive change.

Bob Zak

Vancouver

Let’s remember Founders’ ideal

There has been much hysterical shouting lately about big government and creeping (or rampant) socialism as Congress struggled with the plan to bring health care to the millions of us who do not have it under the present dysfunctional system. Let’s remember that the government envisioned by the Founding Fathers should, as stated in the Preamble to the Constitution, “promote the general welfare” of us all. Is it such a stretch to think this ideal could include access to health care for us all?

Ward Upson

Vancouver

Media intent on blaming someone

Bernard Goldberg, a 25-year veteran of CBS News, describes his book, “A Slobbering Love Affair,” as a true story of the torrid romance between the mainstream media and Barack Obama. The president’s ratings have plummeted to the mid-40s recently. Although the media continue their support, the slobbering has abated. The media are in a bind; they feel they must blame someone for our country’s problems, but are incapable of blaming the president. So, whom do they blame? Us. Here are a few quotes from members of our exalted media:

Opines Jacob Weisberg in Newsweek: “The biggest culprit behind our political paralysis is the childishness, ignorance and growing incoherence of the public at large.” From Steven Pearlstein in the Washington Post: “You simply do not know what’s good for you. On many issues, the American public are badly confused.” “The people have spoken,” writes New Yorker’s James Surowiecki, adding, “It’s not clear that they’re making sense.” In a blog post titled, “Too Dumb to Thrive,” Time magazine’s Joe Klein writes, “It is very difficult to thrive in an increasingly competitive world if you’re a nation of dodos.” Many people depend upon writers such as these to find out what’s going on in the world. Maybe that’s what makes us dodos.

Scotty Hamley

Washougal

Greater costs are in welfare programs

In response to Ann Makar’s March 19 letter, “Eliminate taxpayer-provided ‘choice,’” pro-life supporters do not “save” taxpayers’ millions when they force pregnant woman to give birth. Their savings are pushed onto the welfare system, the food stamp system and the housing system. It seems to me when a woman does not have a choice to plan a pregnancy and is forced to give birth, the dollars add up to more than a $300 one-time abortion. It is a lifetime of welfare for some. If I were to choose which to pay, it most definitely would be a $300 expense over a 15- to 25-year welfare bill, which could be hundreds of thousands of dollars. Do the math and tell me which would you like to pay?

Kim Maddaluna

Beaverton

We need basketball, not Dr. Phil

Once again, my favorite sporting event (NCAA basketball tourney) is ruined by incomprehensibly poor coverage afforded by the completely incompetent CBS network. The NCAA loves to investigate schools for the flimsiest offenses, yet they have committed the grossest offense of all by awarding CBS a 12-year contract to cover the NCAA tournament.

A network that only has one channel to broadcast games can’t possibly adequately cover a tournament with 64 teams. CBS chooses what games you get to watch and for how long you get to watch them. In the West, while two games were still going, CBS felt we would rather watch Dr. Phil. Unbelievable. Reminds me of the infamous Heidi Game of the 1968 Super Bowl (wikipedia.org: “With its nationally televised game between the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets running late, the network began to show the movie Heidi just moments after the Jets’ Jim Turner kicked what appeared to be the game-winning field goal with 1:05 remaining,” but then “the Raiders scored 2 touchdowns in eight seconds during the final minute to win 43-32.”) Let’s call for an investigation of the NCAA.

Michael Kelly

Washougal