Saddled with burden of protecting horses
Re the Aug. 8 article, “Horse recuperating after being beaten, dragged behind truck”:
I am a member of the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the group recently had an appeal to contact legislators and congressmen to vote for an act to stop the United States from sending horses to Mexico and Canada to be slaughtered for meat.
The article told how the horses were stabbed in the neck, paralyzing them, and they were slaughtered fully awake, traumatized and cruelly butchered. Imagine that!
For the abused horse that was in the article, and others like it, what an absolutely horrible end to an absolutely horrible existence. I hope and pray that this horse is spared that fate – that there is justice for the animal. We are their protectors.
Mary Cole
Lakeland, Fla.
Say it with me: Helping economy is good
The Fed announced it would pump an additional $1 trillion into the economy by purchasing bonds and mortgage securities. Meanwhile, Congress busies itself with debates about such “crucial” problems as AIG bonuses.
Congress once again demonstrates its inability to deal with difficult problems in a timely manner, while the Fed forges ahead and does what it should have done 15 months ago.
Although its repeated cutting of interest rates never has had, or ever will have, a positive effect, a monumental injection of cash is exactly what this cash-starved economy needs. The only question remaining: Will this latest cash injection be monumental enough?
With the Fed belatedly doing what the Fed was designed to do – act quickly and decisively to aid a sick economy – Congress now can feel free to primp and posture and debate about AIG bonuses, pork barrel projects and tax loopholes, having done virtually nothing to save the economy.
Now, we all should pray that Congress doesn’t screw things up by raising anyone’s taxes. A tax increase on the poor, the middle class or even on the wealthy, any of which would pull money out of the economy, is the last thing this economy needs.
Perhaps Congress needs a money mnemonic, something like: “To economy, good. To government, bad.”
Rodger Malcolm Mitchell
Wilmette, Ill.
Outlawing enterprise will empower government
If you are a Democrat, you hate the AIG “Bonus Boys” now that you no longer have George W. Bush and Dick Cheney to despise.
The dirty little secret is that elected Democrats never waste a good hate much as they do not waste crises. But how could they benefit from this hate?
Note the consequence of this hate is a 90 percent tax on the Bonus Boys. This will not improve your life, but as a hating Democrat you feel good knowing, “They’re getting theirs,” but look what you are endorsing:
Now a 90 percent tax is OK. Right, the hatemongers have in one fell hate validated a 90 percent tax. “What a great idea!” They will, of course, find other places to use this tool as they expand the hated class to anyone doing better than you. That can be a lot of people if you are a real Democrat.
If we outlaw enterprise, excellence and risk, how much of it will we have? These are the elements that built America. Your only choice will be government; more power to Washington, D.C. From the man who lowered the withholding rate, telling you it was a “tax cut,” but did not change the tax rate so you have to pay it in April, this is just another flimflam.
Adrian Vance
Lakeport, Calif.