Letters to the Editor - October 04 2006

.com-ments are edited for space, not content, punctuation or grammar.

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Move to Cuba!!

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Mr. Sugg, would you please stop with this self-destructive ideology and move to Cuba? I think you would like it there. Listen, it is true that we spend a ton of money on defense. I, for one, am absolutely giddy that we have the strongest military in the world. Are we spending too much? I am no expert so I can’t tell you how much is enough...I just know that I want the strongest army in the world, and I know that costs money. But let’s say that we cut defense spending. That money SHOULD NOT be automatically shifted to social programs, health care, and schools. Government does NOT exist to provide everybody with health care. Government does not exist to give welfare to everyone. That money is NOT the government’s-IT’S the money of the American people. What we need to do is teach people that there are good choices and bad choices...and that the government is not there to bail you out when you make bad choices. As for public schools, more money will NOT fix the problem. I have already challenged you on this. Quit trying to rob people to create your socialist utopia. It already exists: Cuba!! Lots of progressive businesses down there!! PS Bring your hat!!

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-- Vince

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Wasting money does matter

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Vince says he doesn’t care that America spends too much of the taxpayers’ dollars on the Pentagon. But those billions wasted could be invested instead in building strong communities here at home. Education, health care, job training, energy independence create national security. Pentagon boondoggles inserted into the budget by Congressmen to pay off defense contractor campaign contributions do not. This isn’t about left/right, hell democrats play this game too. Republican President Eisenhower warned us against the military-industrial complex. Those like Vince who defend this corruption on patriotism grounds are missing the boat.

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-- Duane Peterson

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what?

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So the people pay taxes to the government to help sustain itself, but the government doesn’t owe anything to the people to help sustain themselves? How can you be against job training, education, and health care? We should all be jobless, sick idiots? So you advocate letting people who’ve fell on rough times fall completely? You think that public education will better itself with no assistance? And I guess you don’t care about sick, poor, or elderly getting health care and forget research to cure diseases. I mean really, who needs all that? Evidently not Vince.

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-- C. Nancy

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please do some research!

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C. Nancy: Here’s a thought. Instead of paying taxes to the government so the government can give you health care, why not keep the money for yourself and pay for the health care that you want? As for the different items that you mention, I LIKE the idea of job training instead of welfare. I also have no problem with spending tax money on education, but I was indicating that the problem with public schools is not a lack of funds. As far as health care, part of the reason it is so expensive is because insurance providers have to include hundreds of things to cover, some things that won’t apply to you. For example, why should my health insurance premiums cover breast cancer? Why should my insurance premium cover smoking related diseases when I don’t smoke? Also, part of the reason that health care costs are high is because those who pay have to cover for those who don’t. I am sure that there are other reasons for expensive health care (and I am certainly no expert on the insurance coverage although my premise is correct), and I am not sure who exactly is to blame for the high cost. I am not against helping those who need help. In fact, I would argue that giving people their own money back to make their own choices would be helping them!!

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-- Vince

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Online responses to last week’s issue, which featured “More ice cream, fewer guns” by John Sugg. Comment on this week’s stories at atlanta.creativeloafing.com.