Letters

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Regarding Bob Lowerre's rendition of the history of great Democrats (letter, Feb. 20 issue), I'm not sure of the spin that's on it, but I have a feeling that Bob and Mother Goose would do well together.

The only real president of those times that I heard about was Calvin Coolidge. I understand he cut the unemployment rate (at that time) from 11 percent to 1.8 percent. They said he did that be lowering taxes from 77 percent to 25 percent and then cut spending by 50 percent. This move brought in the greatest era of prosperity ever. It was known as the roaring '20s and what followed was the greatest expansion of the middle class ever. I think he was a conservative Republican. But oh, well.

I do have a little pearl of wisdom that I believe Bob can use. I understand that the people of Haiti are considering naming the continental plate that caused the earthquake after our former president. George Bush.

From now on it will be called "Bush's Fault." I guess they got bushwhacked also.

EDWARD CAIN
133 Miller Court
Woodstock
Feb. 23, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Like most religious ideologues, John Fusto has no problem quoting people out of context in order to promote his misguided agenda.

In quoting Edward Green he conveniently omitted the following remarks that Green made during a debate sponsored by the 15 annual AIDS conference over the best method that must be emphasized in preventing the spread of the HIV virus:

"I am not anti condom, ... I feel that condoms have a role to play as a means of protection especially in couples who are HIV positive. ... Condoms have their place. ... I have promoted condoms. ... You need all three types of behavior changes (abstinence, monogamy and condoms) and I agree that the adoptions of condoms especially for those that have no choice is a good thing."

I agree with Green that condoms are not the sole solution but that they are an important part of the campaign to stop the spread of this life-threatening disease.

That is a far cry from the position the pope took on his recent trip to Africa when he said that disease-preventing condoms exacerbate the AIDS epidemic rather than relieving it. Those remarks were soundly denounced as "irresponsible and dangerous" by the United Nations AIDS-fighting agency, the British medical journal the Lancet and the governments of France, Germany and Belgium. The Belgium parliament called the pope's false statements "unacceptable" and instructed its ambassador to the Vatican to lodge an official protest. That eminently qualifies as a definition of a misinformation campaign.

The fact of the matter is that unprotected sex in Catholicized countries causes millions of unwanted births of babies who will die of starvation as well as AIDS and other STDs.

To reiterate, as I repeatedly pointed out, there are thousands of Catholics as well as people of other religious persuasions who are speaking out against this ill-advised policy. This is by no means an anti-Catholic movement from the secular community.

In closing, let me suggest that when Fusto responds to this, as he surely will, that he remove his foot from his mouth before he does so.

Gene Rigelon
1117 T-Bird Drive
Front Royal
Feb. 14, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

The following is an excerpt from a recent press release from the Arc of Virginia regarding recent comments by Del. Robert Marshall:

"The Arc of Virginia is surprised and disappointed by remarks made by Delegate Robert Marshall indicating he believes children with disabilities were 'God's punishment.' Such unfortunate remarks continue to lend credence to the stigma people with disabilities and their families are fighting to overcome.

"Since this issue went public, many family members who heard the audio remarks have contacted The Arc to express their outrage over Delegate Marshall's statements.

"Mr. Howard Cullum, president of The Arc of Virginia said, 'Many of our families are struggling with the 24/7 care taking demands. It is rewarding but hard work. Families don't appreciate statements that can be construed to connect having a disabled child with some religious punishment. Our families don't need the grief or the guilt.'

"According to Mr. Cullum, 'The Arc families are especially sensitive now because of proposed state budget cuts to critical services that support persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The Arc appreciates House and Senate budget reports that seek to restore some of the services. However, the important (Medicaid) waiver program is still slated to lose 1,134 waiver slots that were scheduled to begin reducing the long wait lists (which currently number over 6,000.) Our wait list families are in pain and crisis.' The waiver programs keep persons with disabilities in the community rather than in institutions. Virginia is currently ranked 46th in the country for its community support of people with developmental disabilities and their families.

"The Arc is hopeful that Delegate Marshall's comments, however offensive, will draw attention to this untenable situation."

Carol Olson
President
The Arc of Warren County
1571 Blue Mountain Road
Front Royal
Feb. 24, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

I am embarrassed that our state's attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli, has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider its finding that carbon dioxide emissions are pollution and constitute a threat to human health. The best that can be said of Cuccinelli's position is that it is irresponsible.

Of course it's true that carbon dioxide is not directly injurious to humans like some other forms of pollution, but it is clear that humankind's almost doubling of the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere constitutes the most serious environmental threat to future generations.

Not everything is known about how the earth's climate system will process this rising level of carbon dioxide, but this much is known: Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps heat, and the earth is definitely warming. The overwhelming majority of scientists in the field also believe that this warming threatens the stability of our climate and the reliability of our food production and that the dangers are great enough to warrant taking meaningful action to stabilize and then reduce the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

It is irresponsible to ignore this problem. And it is foolish to demand certainty about all aspects of our climate system before we take action. Just as the prudent person spends good money every year for life insurance to protect his family, even though he doesn't expect to die in the coming year, so also prudence requires that today's industrial societies take reasonable precautions now against the very real possibility of a global disaster if we do nothing.

Great corporate interests make a fortune off the status quo. That's the only reason why the United States has been slow to act against this threat, while we're willing to spend hundreds of billions every year for weapons to protect against external enemies. But the threat of global warming is now the greater threat to our children and grandchildren.

If we allow irresponsible leaders like Attorney General Cuccinelli to stand in the way of prudent steps to reduce this danger, future generations may find it difficult to forgive us.

Andrew Bard Schmookler
86 Sunset Ridge
Broadway
Feb. 26, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Just finished reading Bob Wooten's article (Feb. 27 issue) about the trial for arson at Bad Water Bill's. Bob, you have swallowed the government story along with the hook, about 30 yards of line and several lead sinkers. When you finally wake up from this fairy tale, I'd be happy to loan you a pair of needle-nose pliers so you can pull it all out.

Wise up, Bob. Only 12 people too stupid to avoid jury duty could have found this story plausible. Oh, and a second-rate writer on a nothing paper in Strasburg.

This guy was nothing more than a patsy, hung out to dry to protect the behind of the ATF. Bob, the fire started behind the building, under the office, where the video equipment and all the tapes were stored. Only one group had undercover agents inside, committing illegal acts and benefited from this fire, the ATF.

Your line about urban redevelopment was of course a cheap shot. Bob, the town of Strasburg had no problem collecting taxes off that broken pool-cue beer joint as you so cavalierly described it. They seemed to like the money just fine and had no problem spending it.

In 1992 Bad Water Bill's was named one of the top 50 barbecue pits in the south and No. 1 in the state of Virginia by the Southern Farmer's Almanac. That, of course, went unreported by that glorious rag that employs you. Country music stars Pam Tillis, Ricky Scaggs, David Allen Coe and others made it one of their regular stops during their annual tours through the Valley.

Bad Water Bill's was a legal business in the state of Virginia, selling a legal product, paying taxes and employing local citizens. Just like The Northern Virginia Daily.

So Bob, you need to climb down off your soap box, stop patting yourself on the back for this feeble attempt at wit and remember who you are and where you are. You're bush league, Bob. That's why you're stuck in Strasburg, a three stoplight town, and not in the bigs.

Fred Willis
Former owner
Bad Water Bill's
219 W. Rand Road
Arlington Heights, Ill.
Feb. 28, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Bob Wooten, the Daily's managing editor, condones arson. He put that opinion in writing and published it in his "Top of the Morning" column with the title "Arsonist did town a favor?" (Feb. 27 issue).

There is no question about that. Our town leaders are not going to condone an act of violence. Wooten goes on to suggest that the Strasburg Town Council or the Chamber of Commerce ask the judge for leniency for the criminal who set the fire at Bad Water Bill's Restaurant because it was an "eyesore."

Arson is a crime even if Wooten thinks it's OK to break the law. Wooten goes on to describe the oversize signs and light pollution in that area of the town's gateway now as the "Golden Mile." Let us hope that no one else decides that he personally wants a business burned to the ground, endangering lives, destroying property and risking the lives of firefighters.

Kathy Kehoe
117 Dower Lane
Strasburg
Feb. 28, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

The public has largely ignored the ongoing excesses of Wall Street -- perhaps because many (myself included) don't understand Wall Street or the "legitimate" business that occurs there.

Take, for example, the term "credit default swap." Superficially, this sounds boring and complicated -- something people simply don't want to hear about.

Here's a very brief but stark analogy for people like me that describes the basic essence of a CDS.

Say you own ACME Skydiving Co. People rent your parachutes, you take them up, they jump out. One day, you decide to cut 10-foot diameter holes in your parachutes and take out life insurance policies on your unsuspecting customers.

If you did this on Main Street, you'd be charged with murder. On Wall Street, however, this type of behavior is considered legitimate business.

As a result of the Fed's now pouring money in without strings attached, your tax dollars are not only providing the capital to create the defective parachutes and buy the life insurance policies, they're paying to clean up the pile of bodies left on the ground.

This is just one example of the fraud currently occurring on Wall Street. With the influx of Fed money in the absence of significant oversight, the calamity is more profitable than the recovery. The incentive for Wall Street to do things to speed recovery is less attractive than the opportunity to make a lot of money fast and leave us with the bill.

Rather than spending the next six months debating the great health insurance industry giveaway, perhaps Congress should investigate Wall Street. Until the abusers are held accountable, the economic recovery cannot happen.

Obama and Congress need to quit selling Main Street out to Wall Street. We can endlessly debate who's at fault for these circumstances, but the truth is that both parties continue to encourage this behavior. If we allow ourselves to be distracted from this ongoing thievery, issues like the skyrocketing health-care costs ultimately won't matter.

I encourage everyone to contact Congressman Wolf, Sens. Warner and Webb and the White House to demand immediate action.

John Genthner
171 Lake Holiday Road
Cross Junction
March 1, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

How about this idea of a pay reduction across the board for all who are employed by the school systems, all municipalities and at the state level, which would be as follows and it is hoped would allow everyone to keep his job?:

• Less than $25,000, 1 percent.

• Between $25,001 and $35,000, 1.5 percent.

• Between $35,001 and $45,000, 2 percent.

• Between $45,001 and $55,000, 2.5 percent.

• Between $55,001 and $65,000, 2.75 percent.

• $65,001 and up, 3 percent.

This pay reduction would be in effect until the economy corrects itself.

Anyone could assume that the citizenry does not want to see their taxes increased any further.

It's time for all to make adjustments in everyone's own individual lifestyle to be a little more conservative.

Why not have everyone make a small sacrifice to allow everyone to keep his job?

Why should extreme measures be taken to eliminate jobs? Please consider this suggestion when it comes up to the point if jobs have to be cut.

Jeff Milburn
123 Montague Ave.
Winchester
Feb. 19, 2010