Readers
Radio host’s GOP fans spur rush to judgment
As someone who watched his father suffer and die of Parkinson’s disease, I appreciated the recent “Frontline” documentary highlighting the hopes of many that federal funding for research on stem cells, blocked by the Bush administration, may now become a reality.
I did not, however, appreciate the insensitive mockery in a videoclip by Rush Limbaugh of the palsied condition of actor Michael J. Fox, saying it was “just a lot of show.”
If Limbaugh is the new face of the Republican Party, as some have suggested, this is one more reason to keep the Republicans out of Washington.
THOMAS VENNUM, M.D.
A ray of sunshine lights paper’s gloomy forecast
We are devastated that you may no longer publish the Citizen. We have been reading it for more than 40 years.
Hate to have to get that “other” paper. Hope you find a buyer.
Now that you are about to fold, I see you are using white ink to record the state high and lows. I asked you to do this a long time ago. Sure sorry to see you go.
MARIE BROWN
A look at where blame, answer for economy lie
Re: the Feb. 4 guest opinion by Andrea Dalessandro (” GOP leading Az into the darkness”):
She lacks understanding of basic economics. When I read that she is a retired math teacher, certified public accountant, college professor, businesswoman and legislative candidate, I couldn’t believe it.
Ms. Dalessandro says state budget cuts are unnecessary because Arizona is going to receive more than $1 billion from the feds. Even if that occurs, the money is from the taxpayers, not the feds.
More important, what does she propose to do next year? I may not be a retired math teacher or CPA, but even I know the stimulus package is hoped to be a one-time event.
Ms. Dalessandro says tax cuts don’t stimulate the economy or create jobs. This contradicts history. Every tax cut has increased revenue to the Treasury as the economy grew.
Tax cuts didn’t cause our current troubles. They were caused by reckless intervention and “social engineering” in housing by Chris Todd, Barney Frank, Maxine Waters, et al., and by wasteful government spending perpetuated by members of both parties.
If tax cuts don’t stimulate the economy, then why does the stimulus package have significant tax cut provisions?
Ms. Dalessandro claims Arizona’s poor ranking in education is due to a lack of funding. Hogwash.
Many factors affect our ranking. But like most liberal Democrats, she believes the answer always is to throw more money at the problem.
Certainly the budget cuts are regrettable. When public education takes up so much of a budget, however, it is one of the places you have to go in addressing a massive shortfall.
Finally, Ms. Dalessandro exempts former Gov. Janet Napolitano from any criticism for the deficit. This is ludicrous.
If we must totally blame our officials (which I don’t), then the Legislature and governor share the blame. Using Ms. Dalessandro’s logic, problems at the federal level would be the sole blame of Congress. Somehow I doubt that Ms. Dalessandro is willing to exempt former President Bush from any criticism.
HARLAN HOBBS
SaddleBrooke
Turning budgets into a party game
Re: the Wednesday editorial “GOP’s plan: Cut revenue, blame deficit on Napolitano”:
I could not agree with your editorial more. The budget rests solely at the feet of the legislature.
This also applies at the federal level; however, it seems there is a double standard. Why isn’t the Democratic Congress getting blamed for the budget mess rather than President Bush?
Ken Rineer
Stimulus bill includes rationing of health care
We have a very big problem. Is U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords going to tell me she did not know the following was in the stimulus package?
The bill calls for all medical treatments to be tracked electronically by a new bureaucracy known as the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, which will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is administering what the government considers appropriate and cost-effective.
The goal is to reduce costs and guide doctors’ decisions. Hospitals and doctors that are not “meaningful users” of the system will face penalties.
The bill does not define “meaningful user.” That will be left to the secretary of Health and Human Services, who will be empowered to impose more stringent measures of meaningful use over time.
Health care reform will not be pain-free. Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them. And you thought the government wouldn’t ration your health care?
Is that so? Giffords voted for a bill that contained garbage like this. She is saying that if an older person is not worth anything, let them die alone in the dark.
What rock did she crawl out from under? I will sell everything I own to recall her from Congress and make sure she can never run for public office again!
Milton Schick