The budget, which returns to the spending levels of 2006, slashes millions from education, health care and public safety, areas largely sheltered from previous cuts. While specifics are in flux, schools take a $646 million hit, meaning layoffs and larger class sizes, and health programs are cut by more than $1 billion, reducing Medicaid payments and limiting the number of children and mentally disabled adults receiving state care. Law enforcement was spared deeper cuts and arts funding, which the House of Delegates had considered eliminating, will be cut 15 percent over the biennium.

With tax hikes off the table -- both Gov. Bob McDonnell and assembly Republicans were adamantly opposed -- the legislature avoided even more draconian cuts by imposing $95 million in new fees and by diverting $620 million from the Virginia Retirement System. The latter gambit will also spare local governments from having to make pension contributions although the payments will have to be made up.

Although the budget dominated the session, Republicans also sought to limit gun control and expand the death penalty, initiatives largely blocked by the Democratic-controlled Senate. Five Democrats, though, broke ranks to support Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel's bill making it illegal for the federal government to require people to buy health insurance, a mischievous measure giving the willfully uninsured the "freedom" to mooch on the insured.

McDonnell kept a relatively low profile, mostly working behind the scenes on the budget, but he won money for his job creation initiatives and a limited expansion of charter schools. His focus was distracted by the flare-up over Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's opinion limiting state colleges' efforts to ban discrimination against gays.

While Republicans in Richmond sustained their antipathy to tax hikes, localities may not be so fortunate if they want to preserve government jobs and services.

In the settlement, the city will receive $42,000, far less than the $250,000 in damages and another $250,000 in punitive damages it had sought in the dispute over construction costs at the Active Living and Recreation Center in Jim Barnett Park. This indicates that city officials had come to recognize the public relations problem they brought upon themselves through a misguided lawsuit that could have done real damage to Meals on Wheels and the agency's other programs. That was on top of cuts in contributions to other area charities and community programs driven by budget realities.

That said, the City Council has made a real effort to preserve some critical services and social programs that could easily have ended up on the chopping block in these tight times for tax dollars. The city has expressed strong support for the Douglas Community Learning Center, housed in a historic school building that today is used by such organizations as Northern Shenandoah Valley Adult Education and the Boys and Girls Club. The council is also working to resolve a number of safety and security issues that had cast doubt on the survival of Edge Hill, a substance abuse recovery center on Cork Street.

Despite the difficult budget picture, the council deserves credit for trying to maintain important services for disadvantaged members of the community most at risk in a down economy.

Sir:

Your editorial in this morning's issue blasts Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., for asking that Congress actually pay for a measure to add yet another extension to unemployment benefits. You attack him and Republicans in general as being cold-hearted, inflicting pain on people.

How have we gotten to the point where the American public and their politicians believe that it is the responsibility of the federal government to pay people to remain unemployed indefinitely, with money that doesn't exist?

Human nature suggests, and studies confirm, that people collecting unemployment don't become motivated to go out and get a job, any job, until their benefits run out. The longer the government pays people to stay out of work, the longer they do.

What has become of the American values of honest work and self-reliance? Or the value of paying for what we spend? Is it compassionate to reward people endlessly for not supporting themselves? Who is actually going to pay for the reckless largess of our governments at all levels?

Republican and Democratic politicians alike keep falling all over themselves to shovel out more and more non-existent taxpayer money to assuage every misfortune in their constituents' lives.

We are raising a generation who believes their every need, from lunches to health care, should be automatically provided by "the government." When Jesus told us to "feed my sheep," I doubt he meant to turn them into sheep first.

Guy E. Miller
1587 Patmos Road
Woodstock
March 3, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

I am extremely concerned about the health-care legislation before Congress today.
My main problem with the bill is that it does not contain a complete ban on abortion funding. Speaker Pelosi has only confused the matter by her misinformation: There is little doubt that the bill, in its current form, would ultimately allow for government-funded abortion.

Without a complete, rigorous, exception-free ban of abortion funding, this legislation will, under President Obama's administration, serve to create an abortion mandate that our legislators -- and hence, we -- will no longer be able to check.

As Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said in a Washington Post column Tuesday, "This use of reconciliation to jam through this legislation, against the will of the American people, would be unprecedented in scope."

I recommend that every concerned citizen write your representative and ask him to vote no on this health-care bill.

Sylvia Smith
883 Wildcat Drive
Front Royal
March 4, 2010
Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Next month will mark the first anniversary of my son Christopher's death. He died from respiratory failure, which ultimately resulted from a motor vehicle accident five years ago. For those that do not know, Christopher was paralyzed and became a quadriplegic at the scene.

For four years, he struggled while being locked inside a body that did not respond. As his mother, I say thank you to God every day for giving his family and friends four years to spend with him. Why he did not die at the scene remains a question.

Because of the proposed change in speed limit on Interstate 81 I have been questioned numerous times regarding my opinion. I travel the interstate daily during the work week. I pass by Christopher's accident scene daily.

Speed is often a factor in accidents on the interstate, but inattentiveness was the main factor in "our" accident. The driver of the car hauler was fiddling, according to witnesses he passed. Even though his vehicle was higher than the cars surrounding him, he did not see or look that traffic had stopped. He hit Christopher's truck doing about 70 miles per hour. To add insult to the injury, the driver was not charged in the accident.

Every day I see drivers talking and texting on cell phones and I follow truck drivers who weave off the road. Recently a teenager was apparently texting and was driving down the middle of the interstate totally oblivious to surroundings.

Yes, speed is a factor, but in my opinion, I think we need to make accidents where inattentiveness created by cell phone usage, etc., a crime against society -- society that has to pick up medical bills and monthly disability because of someone's lack of responsibility.

Random simple fines are just not enough.

Rhonda Jones
2041 Readus Road
Edinburg
March 4, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

As a woman, I have been following the debate regarding condom usage in combating HIV/AIDS. After comparing the information offered by John Fusto and Dr. Brian Clowes vs. Gene Rigelon and Al VanDeGriek, I would like to commend the Fusto-Dr. Clowes letters for their revealing citations and rare firsthand experience.

I observe that Fusto offers numerous experts on the subject -- who are authoritative, but not politically correct -- while Rigelon and VanDeGriek seem to depend on "opinions," conflict-of-interest defenses and parroting of the current politically acceptable agenda. (VanDeGriek was part of the FDA bureaucracy, which has a terrible record and culpability for endorsing "medications" that are recalled due to appalling side effects, including death. Why should we trust his alleged "research" on condoms?)
Fusto, moreover, even cites authorities like Dr. Helen Singer Kaplan of Cornell University Medical Center, who said, "Counting on condoms is flirting with death." Unfortunately, VanDeGriek's latest letter conveniently ignores these (and many other) authoritative citations that contradict his theories. But he lamely says, "I have seen no scientific data" against condoms. How bogus and arrogant.

It is painfully obvious that VanDeGriek's FDA allegiance prevents him from being objective in a condom discussion and from accepting information that defies his establishment background. It also explains his alleged inability to find or accept any research that contradicts the status quo. The FDA history of numerous catastrophic approvals, evidenced in repeated recalls after injuries and death, discredits VanDeGriek's input and gives cause for concern.

Thank you, Mr. Fusto and Dr. Clowes, for daring to reveal research and realities that are not politically correct. Thank you for revealing references (and experience) that were not paid for by powerful and wealthy corporations or promoted by government bureaucracy. Thank you, Dr. Clowes, for working for a nonprofit organization dedicated to trying to stop death everywhere -- death by abortion, death by AIDS and death by propaganda. And thank you, Dr. Clowes, for going to Africa and for sharing your conversations with the dying AIDS patients who realize now that they were fatally misled by the condom lies that are everywhere today.

Susana Tyler
107 Kingsland Court
Winchester
March 4, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

On Oct. 20, 2009, after 23 years with a local company, my employment was terminated. As a requirement with the Virginia Employment Commission, I was required to participate in a "teleconference" with VEC on Dec. 8 to determine if I had been fired as a result of "misconduct."

The deputy at VEC ruled overwhelmingly in my favor. Therefore I have been receiving benefits. The company chose not to participate in the teleconference.

On Feb. 19 I received a notice that the company wanted to "appeal" the decision in an attempt to keep me from receiving VEC benefits. So today I was once again required to participate in yet another teleconference.

Why would the company want to keep me from receiving benefits after having drummed me out of my job the first time?

Virginians need to know that unless they are willing to fight for drastic and immediate legislation for themselves and their children, we will continue to wallow in this cesspit of draconian laws and loopholes that are all in favor of the corporation, whereas individuals in this commonwealth have no rights. Especially in the workplace you have to endure abuse, dangerous working conditions and often overt harassment just to keep a job.

Tom Haun
195 Jessica Place
Toms Brook
March 10, 2010

About letters

Letters to the editor about current events or topics of general interest are welcomed.
They must not exceed 350 words and must be signed and include the writer's complete address and telephone number. The phone number, which is for verification, will not be published.

Letters should be sent to 152 N. Holliday St., Strasburg 22657. They may also be e-mailed to jhoran@shentel.net or jhoran@nvdaily.com. E-mailed letters do not have to be signed, but a phone number is necessary for verification.

Sir:

How dare you attack a business because it didn't measure up to your standards.
Bad Water Bill's was a great place to go to shoot a game of pool or enjoy some damn good barbecue. In the winter it was a warm and inviting place to sit near the fire and enjoy nice company. Everybody in there was always nice and friendly and didn't seem as judgmental as some of the private clubs around here.

Now what we have to look at as we enter town is another faceless corporate corridor with no style, soul or character. Now it looks just like any other "golden mile" around here.
By the way, how does our "golden mile" look from your home in Edinburg, Bob?

Daniel Payne
430 E. Fairchild Drive
Strasburg
March 7, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

In 2003 when Bad Water Bill's BBQ Barn was burned down by an arsonist, I was the owner of that establishment. The building in which Bad Water Bill's was in, was not an eyesore. The building was a previous restaurant, where people would gather and catch up on the town gossip, just like at Bad Water Bill's. Other buildings in and around town were in disarray and in need of repair.

I think what Bob Wooten wrote in this column (Feb. 27 issue) is sending our children the wrong message of right and wrong. In my opinion and in most, burning someone's place of business or home is wrong for whatever reason.

In the past Bad Water Bill's has held fundraiser events such as Toys for Tots, Big Brothers and Big Sisters and for the Evans Home, just to name a few. We also held children's birthday parties, bridal showers and wedding receptions. The Strasburg Library held luncheons and every year Bad Water Bill's would donate barbecue for the spring cleanup.

Bad Water Bill's had regular visitors from Northern Virginia, D.C. and Maryland who came to the Strasburg area, which also brought business to our local merchants. That's called revenue.

In 2001, the Strasburg Chamber of Commerce awarded Bad Water Bill's a plaque for the best-appearing float in the Mayfest parade. It's a little charred now.

I'm sure more people would support my opinion over yours. Some of Strasburg's residents that you want support from were regular patrons of Bad Water Bill's BBQ Barn on a regular basis.

To get to my point, it wasn't just a bar or a place to get a good meal, it was part of the community. It was part of Strasburg. Where I still call home.

Mary Fisher
200 E. Queen St.
Strasburg
March 8, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Today, two more slaps in the face for gay people -- and for fairness. One was Kenton Gambill's letter (March 6, issue), and the other Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's ruling that Virginia universities could not protect sexual minorities from discrimination.

As Cuccinelli accurately stated, the General Assembly has never forbidden such discrimination. However, most major universities have. Under Cuccinelli's interpretation, Socrates and Plato couldn't safely hold philosophy positions at our state colleges.

Gambill gives us the beliefs behind Cuccinelli's legal maneuver. They are not only weak and unfair, but they distort Scripture.

In Gambill's supposedly Christian argument, strangely Jesus goes completely unmentioned. Jesus obviously knew of homosexuality, yet never spoke one word Gambill can use. In fact, Jesus required us to forgive the greater sexual sin of adultery, which violates a commandment.

When talking about supposedly divine laws, Gambill provides justifications for them, such as fear of spreading diseases or the inability to reproduce. Interestingly, these are all evolution-related arguments from scientists of the last century, not found in the Bible.

Gambill might revisit the Book of Job and consider how ill-equipped humans are to grasp God's reasoning. He also might want to consider Jesus' likely response to those in power depriving defenseless people of their livelihoods, just because of their cultural prejudices.

Unlike GambilI, I don't claim to know God's thinking processes. But we all have a sense of the values Jesus embodied. No matter how loudly they might proclaim their piety, in this matter, neither Cuccinelli not Gambill reflect those values.

Larry Yates
678 Berryville Ave.
Winchester
March 6, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

For the past two articles, Chris Fordney has used what I think is demeaning language.
In his article concerning dog waste (March 1 issue), he used the word "wussie" and today he uses "bimbo" (March 8 issue). Both of these words demean.

I think the Daily owes its readers better use of our language. To question someone's macho because he or she cleans up after pets is mean-spirited. Then today in his article about bombers during World War II, he refers to Sara Palin as a "bimbo."

This type of language is sexist and uncalled for. Language expresses thoughts, and your readers deserve clear thinking. The use of such degrading words is uncalled for, and I expect more from your paper.

Roger Barbee
287 Old Bethel Road
Edinburg
March 9, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Let's have a cup of coffee. It seems the tea ain't workin'.

No more than anyone else do I relish the idea of increased taxes. I have been chronically unemployed for more than two years. Thanks to my overpaid teaching wife, and a lot of trimming of our personal budget and activities, barring any catastrophic events, thankfully we've been able to keep afloat.

It appears that Shenandoah County will have to raise real estate taxes to continue to overpay our educators, police, fire and rescue and provide the myriad other services we rely upon.

Well, that's OK by me. These professionals have families to support. The schools have taken drastic measures over the past couple years to reduce housekeeping costs and should be commended, not condemned, for these moves.

During this hard winter although my driveway end was pushed closed by the highway clearers, I didn't have to open the 150-foot frontage of Route 11 passing my house. Thanks to those taxes I pay. I also didn't have to spend many cold hours untangling traffic on I-81 and Route 11 when stupid people did stupid things during those storms. Thanks to those taxes for paying our police, fire and rescue to do that. Golly gee, there are a lot of things that I don't have to provide for myself, thanks to those taxes.

As a former business owner, I had to crunch numbers and cut costs and increase prices to survive successfully. Fearing that it would cost me customers, I agonized when my only option was to increase prices. Anyone who has ever been forced to choose between keeping good loyal employees, and charging more for product or service offered knows that feeling.

It's the same for taxpayers. It is not an easy task. So, tea drinkers, please tighten your belts, offer constructive views to decision makers on how to cut costs and save money. Be grateful when the police respond to your needs, the schools graduate your children and roads are passable.

Direct your energy at the medical insurance industry. That's another cup of tea, though.

Spencer McIntosh
13070 Old Valley Pike
Edinburg
March 9, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

G.K. Chesterton said, "Good is good if nobody does it. Evil is evil if everybody does it."
Freedom and peace come from choosing good. Choosing evil makes us a slave to that evil and conflicts our minds, so there is no peace. To have freedom and peace, an acceptance of universal, unchanging moral values that prohibit intrinsic evil without exception is necessary. Truth is not a matter of opinion.

Today people are not trained to think clearly, causing the tremendous confusion existing in our society. Confusion is undermining America's once-strong moral values.

Roman Catholics, given the fullness of faith by God, should understand this. But our society has brainwashed young and old by rationalizing away objective truth. So many now accept moral relativism. It takes spiritual strength and courage to overcome the selfish egotism of the "I want it my way" society.

Many non-Catholics who struggle to overcome this brainwashing and are sorry when they offend God are far more likely to get to heaven than disobedient Catholics. But even such Catholics who reject God's gifts can be forgiven if they are sorry.

In "Splendor of Truth" the pope, whose job it is to save souls, calls all to reject modern relativism. He teaches that only a strong moral foundation can save a person, a nation and a world.

Americans, reject national bankruptcy (spending personally and nationally more than can be earned), reject the culture of death, assisted suicide and the killing of innocent defenseless babies (abortion) and old people (euthanasia). Reject sexual perversion, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, same-sex marriage. Speak out for the truth.
God will forgive us if we are sorry. Let's be Nineveh -- not Sodom and Gomorrah.

ILLEEN RENINGER
20 Gloucester Road
Front Royal
March 5, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

This June I will have served the residents of the town of Woodstock and Shenandoah County for 19 years. It has been an honor and privilege to do so and I thank my fellow residents for your support.

The town of Woodstock and Shenandoah County in general are a wonderful place to live, work, worship and raise a family. There are many capable people in our community who have so much to give and contribute and I think it's time for them to step forward. I encourage the residents of our community to give them your support as you have given me over the years.

It is not enough for us to sign petitions or vote, which I hope everyone who values our lifestyle will do, but we have an obligation to participate in the governing process by stepping forward and offering our opinions and suggestions so as to influence decisions before they are made. That opportunity has always been available as anyone who has availed himself can attest.

Those whom we select must not only honor the past, they must do their best to represent the views of a cross-section of our community and have a vision and plan for our community for many years to come.

Learn to know the candidates and their positions, not solely by what you read in newspapers or in their brochures, but avail yourself of opportunities to talk to them either at your door or at candidate forums.

We have a number of capable candidates who are stepping forward to continue the work of councils past and present and I am impressed by their willingness to serve and I offer them my support as a fellow citizen in our community.

Bill Pence
Mary Pence
525 Washington St.
Woodstock

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Robert Lowerre (letter, Feb. 20 issue) is living in the past, blaming George Bush for everything that goes wrong.

With the candidate the Democrats put in the White House, I would think he would stop spouting his Democratic wisdom.

GLORIA J. PLAUGER
232 Walter Lane
Fort Valley
March 8, 2010

Pelosi broached the idea of banning earmarks at a party leadership gathering last week. Discussion was "brief and inconclusive," according to Roll Call, the Capitol Hill paper, but no one raised major objections and leaders wanted to explore the topic with David Obey, the Appropriations Committee chairman.

Pelosi's trial balloon, however, was quickly embraced by House Minority Leader John Boehner, whose spokesman said, "For more than two years we've been asking House Democrats to joins us in an earmark moratorium and real earmark reform."

And Republican Sen. Jim DeMint also commended Pelosi and pledged to force a vote in that chamber. "Nancy Pelosi and I don't agree on many things, but if she's willing to take a stand for taxpayers, I'll work with her to put an end to the earmark favor factory," he said Tuesday.

Pelosi's idea was broached as way for Democrats, tangled in the health-care reform morass and beset by high unemployment and fresh ethical concerns, to counter their bleak prospects in this fall's congressional elections by espousing an issue with wide popular appeal. So far this fiscal year, members of both parties in both chambers have secured earmarks totaling $15.9 billion, according to one tally.

But it also had a practical angle: With the Senate tied in partisan knots, House Democrats figure their earmarks would probably be scrapped as their spending bills get tossed into an omnibus appropriations measure.

Pelosi may not have expected such a groundswell of support -- and some of her caucus members who treasure their ability to bestow largess on their districts are no doubt chagrined -- but the idea definitely has "legs," whether or not it salvages her majority in November.

Despite a spate of terrorist bombs in the days leading up to the vote, U.S. officials said only three polling stations were closed, and those for only 15 minutes, on Sunday.

Although turnout was less than the 76 percent who voted in the last parliamentary elections in 2005, the Sunnis, who boycotted that vote, chose to participate this time.

Also notable was the strong showing of two slates that downplayed sectarianism and ran secular campaigns. The front-runner is believed to be Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, who worked to broaden his coalition from its Shiite base. He was strongly challenged by Ayad Allawi, a former prime minister whose ticket includes a number of high-profile Sunni candidates.

Neither is expected to command a majority in the 325-member parliament, which means forging alliances with the Kurds, the dominant ethnic group in northern Iraq, or smaller religious parties, including the bloc of Muqtada al-Sadr, the anti-American rabble rouser whose influence has waned.

Although the various factions will likely face tough bargaining to try to forge a majority, the haggling could be constructive if it transcends sectarian rifts and fosters inclusiveness.

In any event, the election is a milestone on the path toward a stable democracy in Iraq, which hastens the day when U.S. troops can withdraw.

Incumbents are understandably leery of ceding authority over drawing political boundaries -- after all, their careers are potentially at stake -- but self-interest can also override common sense and the best interests of the citizenry. Partisan zeal can hatch bizarrely shaped districts that benefit the "ins" or lump together rural and urban constituencies.

Crafting districts with lopsided margins for one party not only dampens electoral competitiveness but also discourages effective governance. Safely ensconced in office, incumbents need appeal only to their most fervent constituents, the party cadre that controls the nomination process. The general election becomes a sham.

The Senate bill would create an advisory commission with seven members -- three Democrats, three Republicans and a less openly partisan chairman chosen by the others -- to draw new boundaries for congressional and legislative districts based on the 2010 Census. The goal is to create districts that are compact, contiguous and respectful of communities of interest and existing political subdivisions. The General Assembly would retain the final say.

In Virginia the idea has over the years gathered widespread support from civic and business groups and prominent politicians of both parties. With each party controlling one house of the General Assembly, its prospects seemed brighter this year.

Gov. Bob McDonnell endorsed the proposal as a candidate, but he expressed ambivalence about the idea this week and apparently did nothing to sway reluctant delegates, which suggests his endorsement was just a campaign ploy.

A truly results-oriented governor should embrace a measure that would dampen political partisanship and encourage legislative moderation and compromise.

Sir:

I have just read the electronic version of Bob Wooten's Feb. 27 column regarding the Bad Water Bill's arson case. In it, Wooten seems to present a particularly creative take on the idea of justice.

Wooten's article suggests that the rule of law should apply less to a crime committed against the former Bad Water Bill's, a legally established and operated business whose appearance and patrons he found unsavory, than it should to those businesses that he finds more pleasant.

While it's possible that the ghosts of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams et al. might, like Wooten, appreciate the throng of businesses that supplanted the former restaurant, I doubt that they would find his suggestion of unequal protection under the law very appealing.

One wonders what Wooten might say if a pack of so-called undesirables started hanging out at Denny's. Would he suggest that it might be nice if it burned down as well? One could always argue that the insipidity of its menu makes it deserving of such a fate, just like Wooten cites the former Bad Water Bill's "run down" appearance to mitigate the seriousness of its arson.

Myself, I find the presence of corporate mega-chains such as Denny's to be a blight on Strasburg, a community where there is a strong tradition of locally owned restaurants. While I can't say that I'd be unhappy if Strasburg's Denny's was lost to arson, it would be absurd for me to argue clemency for the crank who would burn it just because I happen to find the place aesthetically and gastronomically ugly. In the same way, it is ridiculous that Wooten attempts to justify leniency for the man convicted of destroying Bad Water Bill's simply because he found it repellent.

Happily, we live in a country where one's personal opinions and taste are secondary to justice. I earnestly hope that the arsonist's sentence is fitting to the crime -- and not fitting to Wooten's opinion of the crime's outcome.

James Lawonn
1390 Buskin River Road
Kodiak, Alaska
Feb. 28, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

When God created Adam, he did not create another man for Adam to live with. Why? Most people know that a man and a woman together can procreate.

A marriage contract is to make both man and woman to be responsible for raising their children.

Two women can live together, but if they intend to raise children who are not their own or belonging only to one woman by childbirth, the two may decide to raise the child of the birth mother as a team. A marriage contract can require the non-birth mother to pay child support if she decides she doesn't want to be responsible for raising that child at a later date.

If a man is looking for a wife to produce children, how can he find a worthy woman from lesbians?

Crossing over the line between homosexual and non-homosexuals could cause sexual diseases. In the Old Testament people of one nation avoided marrying the people of a different nation probably because of the possibility of spreading diseases.

Most sane people would not want to marry anyone who may be a disease carrier. Some people think a homosexual person may be a disease carrier in modern times. With modern medicine some people think people can have sex with anybody without getting a disease. Instead disease seems to be increasing in the human race.

Kenton Gambill
484 Walton St.
Strasburg
Feb. 27, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Over the course of the last century, Americans have been subtly seduced into thinking that they can have "peace of mind" if they would just turn their lives over to the state.
If it wasn't Woodrow Wilson promising "a war to end all wars" and a progressive system of taxation, then it was FDR promising everything from jobs to recreation to Social Security through his so-called second Bill of Rights. LBJ told us we would eliminate poverty if only we would cough up billions of dollars and then imposed a surtax on us to pay for a war that he lost. In taking us off the gold standard and imposing wage and price controls, Nixon assured us that everything would be OK. Jimmy Carter came to power and we had long lines at gas stations, runaway inflation and high interest rates.
The Clintons promised universal health care and fortunately were discouraged by an electorate that sent them a message in 1994. George H.W. Bush promised no new taxes. George W. Bush in concert with the liberals gave us another huge medical entitlement that we can't pay for.

Now we have embodied in our current president all of the nonsensical progressive mischief of the last 100 years. We have reached the state of addiction. No one wants to give up his political drug of choice. Like the alcoholic and the drug addict, we need our "fix" of government help and money. This is a sickness that has reached epic proportions and it demands intervention.

As with the addict, we must enter rehab. Over time, we have to wean ourselves from Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and social welfare. These programs represent almost 50 percent of our national budget. They are unsustainable.

We must look to ourselves for these things. Unlike Faust, we must not sell our souls to the devil to achieve some utopian existence. In the process of doing this, we are selling our heirs down the river Styx.

Only through a massive program of rehabilitation can we achieve freedom from the tyranny of big government and usher in redemption.

JOHN W. LACAVA
23 Murchison Lane
Luray
Feb. 22, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Re the Canadian women's hockey team: The IOC needs to loosen its girdle.

CHARLES HAMNER
712 Ross Ave.
Front Royal
Feb. 27, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

This week Congressman Frank Wolf sent a large postcard mailer to residents in the 10th District. He outlined his reasons for not supporting the president's health-care reform package.

I have been a recipient of "government-managed health care," which Congressman Wolf opposes, most of my life. First as the daughter in a military family where the federal government directly pays doctors, nurses and health-care personnel. Later I became a federal employee and Medicare recipient.

The federal government -- in both these instances -- establishes and manages the parameters for approved insurance programs. The two that I chose, Aetna (for profit) and Kaiser Permanente (not for profit) have served me well for more than 50 years.
Congressman Wolf has enjoyed similar government-managed health care but has made little or no effort to initiate a national effort to improve health care for residents of the 10th District. He is frequently commended for individual constituent assistance, but health problems extend beyond individuals as I outlined in my letter below:

"... You may also have lost touch with Warren County. We are trying to deal with a high level of unemployment and underemployment. In our schools, of 5,300 students, 1,748 (or about 1⁄3), require Medicaid support services. This number indicates that probably their parents have no health insurance. Add other residents under 65 who either are out of work or surviving on minimal incomes, and you have a significant and growing problem. In addition, about 1⁄2 of our students are on free or reduced breakfast/lunch programs -- their families may also need health assistance.

"... Don't you enjoy government-managed health care working for Congress? Please vote for the health care reform bill supported by the President. We can't wait another 30 years for change -- too many citizens will suffer and die needlessly."

I encourage you to contact Congressman Wolf (wolf.house.gov, 202-225-5136) and outline your concerns. There will be life-changing congressional vote within the next few weeks.

Tina Hobson
1045 Oakmont Drive
Front Royal
March 2, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

When I am forced to choose the lesser of two evils, where is the third option? (None of the above).

Has this country forgotten the reason it was founded? Where is freedom when you are forced to either eat garlic-flavored onions or onion-flavored garlic?

Benjamin Showers
P.O. Box 90
Rio, W.Va.
March 2, 2010

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

Although Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had pledged a scandal-free Congress when Democrats took control after the 2006 elections, had minimized Rangel's offense, his support in the party caucus crumbled amid rising Republican criticism.

The trips for which Rangel -- and four other black caucus members -- were cited are relatively minor infractions. The ethics committee said it had no proof Rangel knew of the corporate sponsorships, but two members of his staff knew and the committee said he should be held accountable.

But Rangel, the most powerful black in Congress, faces more serious allegations, including fundraising, his failure to pay income tax on property he owns in the Dominican Republic and reports that he was renting rent-stabilized apartments in Harlem at a price below market value.

The ethics committee investigation of those matters has dragged on for years. While the charges remain unproven, the fact that the chairman of the House tax-writing committee would become entangled in questions about unpaid taxes and sweetheart deals is discomforting.

Such concerns, though, hardly fazed Rangel, a wheeler and dealer and key player in the Democratic leadership, especially on taxes and health-care reform. He claimed to be stepping aside temporarily, a contention at variance with House rules.

While Rangel's departure as chairman complicates House Democrats' agenda, his exit was necessary unless the party wants to further boost Republicans' electoral chances by handing them an ethics scandal as an issue.

Bunning is using Senate rules, which give any member outsized power to stymie the chamber, to block legislation extending unemployment benefits for up to 500,000 workers. Also affected are 2,000 workers furloughed by the U.S. Transportation Department, doctors who face a 21 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements, the jobless who rely on COBRA subsidies to keep their health insurance, states forced to suspend major highway projects and 1 million rural households that will lose access to satellite TV.

The Kentucky senator complains that the bill will add to the federal deficit -- he wants to use unspent stimulus money to cover the $10 billion cost. But other senators, including most Republicans, view the measure as essential and exempt from budget constraints.

Bunning's stance as deficit hawk would be more convincing if his conversion had come earlier. He had no qualms about adding to the deficit during the George W. Bush administration when Republicans enacted a costly Medicare prescription drug benefit and tax cuts for the richest and financed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by, in effect, putting them on the national credit card.

Republicans are keen to end the impasse, which has distracted attention from the Democrats' health-care reform snarl, but they have minimal leverage over Bunning. He's not seeking re-election, at least partly because of pressure from his fellow Kentucky senator, Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader. Democrats, meanwhile, are disinclined to arrange a graceful exit to the deadlock.

Bunning's feckless one-man crusade reinforces the Republicans' image as the cold-hearted "party of no" and, worse, inflicts unnecessary pain on real people.

The reason for the disparity is partly chance. The epicenter of the Chilean quake was deeper -- 22 miles under sea, compared to eight in Haiti -- and farther from population centers. In the Chile earthquake tectonic plates moved vertically, which typically causes less damage than horizontal plate shifts as that in the Haiti quake.

But much of the difference is also due to planning and preparation. Two of the 10 most powerful earthquakes on record have struck Chile, including one in 1960 that measured 9.5 in magnitude and sent a powerful tsunami that caused major damage and loss of life in Japan and Hawaii. Until January Haiti last experienced a major quake in 1842.

Keenly aware of the quake threat, Chile has strict building codes that are rigorously enforced. It is also prosperous enough to afford such measures and has a government intent on implementing its standards.

Haiti, sadly, is another story with lax or widely ignored building codes and a dysfunctional government.

The wisdom of Chile's policies is manifest in the relatively small death toll, considering the magnitude of the quake, which has left some 2 million Chileans homeless.

Chile will rebuild quickly and take into account the lessons of this quake, which surely will not be the last one it will experience.

One thing is sure: Public education, the most important governmental investment for the future, will take an unprecedented $700 million hit that could result in the loss of up to 28,000 jobs, according to the Virginia Education Association -- not to mention the critical services that will be lost due to another $300 million in cuts to health and human resources programs. These reductions have gone way beyond prudent cost-cutting.

With the House of Delegates and McDonnell hewing to a hard line against any tax increases, the pressure to raise new revenue will fall on city and town councils and boards of supervisors, some of whom are loudly complaining about being left holding the bag.

The Virginia Association of Counties has calculated how much real estate taxes would have to be hiked to make up for the cuts in state funding. For a house assessed at $250,000, a homeowner would have to pay another $338 per year in Shenandoah County, $138 in Frederick, $208 in Warren and $104 in Winchester.

Those types of increases are unlikely in the current economy, which is largely responsible for the budget crisis. But also to blame are rigid tax policies in Richmond that have produced such grotesqueries as the "abuser fees" of two years ago or the ongoing struggle over former Gov. Jim Gilmore's efforts to abolish the local car tax. The mess left by that was partially cleaned up by his successor, Mark R. Warner, with $1.5 billion in tax increases, and voters weighed in on their differing approaches by giving Warner a 65 percent victory over Gilmore in the U.S Senate race of 2008.

Perhaps the people of Virginia are actually willing to pay for the services they expect from state and local governments.

Sir:

Growing up in Shenandoah County taught me valuable lessons, many pertaining to honesty and fairness. My parents, my church and teachers employed by the county schools reinforced the value of playing by the rules and treating everyone the same.
That is why it came as such a surprise that Del. Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah County) sponsored an amendment to deny proceeds from a special license plate with the message "Trust Women/Respect Choice" to the sponsoring organization, The Virginia League of Planned Parenthood.
Instead Gilbert decided the funds would be diverted to the Virginia Pregnant Women Support Fund, an organization that supports women facing unplanned pregnancies.
This may not seem like a big deal until one discovers that Gilbert and 56 other delegates don't play by the rules. Those rules that apply to plates for "Save the Bay," "Respect Life," "Va. Tech," "Parrotheads" or the NRA, etc., are not the same ones that were applied to Planned Parenthood.
That organization followed all proper procedures for sponsoring a special license plate, including collecting 350 signatures, and yet they are the only organization ever to have their funds diverted to another program.
It is an understatement to say Planned Parenthood was treated unfairly and was denied equal treatment. And it is obvious to many that this is an underhanded and immature way to punish Planned Parenthood and weakens information directed toward women's health issues.
On that playground in Edinburg I learned early on that you don't change the rules because you don't like your opponent. To Del. Gilbert one would only ask that he act upon those early lessons of fairness and equal treatment for all.

JEAN W. CLINE
1510 Concord Drive
Hampton
Feb. 16, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

In reply to the letters from Dr. Brian Clowes (Feb. 6 issue) and John Fusto (Feb. 11 issue), the condom effectiveness issue is twofold. One, are condoms effective in preventing transmission of HIV between sexual partners? Two, are condoms an effective means of combating the HIV epidemic?
For question one the answer is clearly yes. While less than 100 percent, I have seen no scientific data disputing their effectiveness in preventing HIV transmission.
Question two is more equivocal. I thank Mr. Fusto for introducing Dr. Edward Green. Those interested can search the Internet for "dr edward green princeton" and read his work and Wikipedia article. Green explains why condom-only programs without behavioral changes have not been successful and may exacerbate the problem. He points out the successful program in Uganda, which emphasized behavior changes, including mutual fidelity (or reduction in numbers of sexual partners) and delay of sexual debut, backed up by condom promotion brought down national HIV prevalence by an unprecedented two-thirds.
Fusto infers that Green is opposed to condom use. Not true. I quote Green, "... They should have a back-up role even in the generalized epidemics of Africa. I believe condoms should be made available to everyone. It should be, ..., the ABC strategy: abstinence, be faithful, use a condom."
The pope got a bad rap. His words were widely misinterpreted by the media and its audience, including me, to mean that condoms were ineffective in preventing the transmission of HIV, whereas his statement (I paraphrase) was that condom-only programs were ineffective in preventing the continued spread of the disease and perhaps even contributed to its spread. These are very different.
Clowes was less than forthright. He is a doctor of civil engineering and director of research and training of Human Life International, a Roman Catholic activist pro-life organization headquartered in Front Royal. Clowes not only opposes use of condoms for any purpose, he opposes the use of birth control pills and all other forms of contraception.
I suggest to both gentleman that insults do not make cogent arguments.

Al VanDeGriek
P.O. Box 67
Basye
Feb. 22, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

With our servicemen and women giving up their lives in Afghanistan to protect our country and other countries, it is time that this Congress (both Democratic and Republicans) quit playing games ("I-got-you politics") by giving us the needed tax increase to win this conflict (war).
President Roosevelt and Congress raised taxes in 1942 to help to win World War II, which saved our democracy. Congress must bite the bullet now before the 2010 elections and raise new taxes and let the Bush tax cut expire in 2011 to save the United States of America from national bankruptcy.

WALTER M. DUNCAN
928 S. Marshall St.
Front Royal
Feb. 18, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

Ken Cuccinelli would expend scarce taxpayer dollars to sue the federal government over an individual mandate for health insurance. The quixotic attorney general seems unaware of the fact that his own party originated the idea in its alternative plan to President Clinton's health-care reform. The co-sponsors were Chuck Grassley and Orrin Hatch.
The conservative health economist Mark Pauly, of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, who among others proposed the idea to the first President Bush, (to counter an employer mandate), called it "responsible national health insurance" to curb "free riders" at the emergency room. He is now perplexed at the Republican opposition.
So am I. Was it just a poison pill, or were they for it before they were against it?

Sharon Gochenour
222 N. Lee St.
Woodstock
Feb. 23, 2010

Editor
Northern Virginia Daily

Sir:

I read Leonard Pitts' column in today's issue (Feb. 23). I am aghast at the level of ignorance exhibited by one reader who denied the brave sacrifice of Henry Johnson.
What I objected to was Pitts' "painting with a broad brush" those who would disagree with the liberal agenda being foisted upon the American people.
Are there ignorant people on both sides of the argument? Assuredly.
Seldom in this country's history has critical thinking been more vital to the body politic. There is too much at stake. Are we to swallow whole the leftist agenda without question? What freedoms are we willing to relinquish in order to fulfill Barack Obama's vision?
Are we to accept the cradle-to-grave regimentation of the "nanny state" gone mad? This, sir, is socialism.
As to the Iraq war, was it wrong to overthrow a cruel dictator who had state-licensed rapists on the payroll? Ask the Iraqi people if they want a dictator back in power. Instead now they have a semblance of the rule of law, meager and tenuous as it is.
As to the ignorant idiot who denied Henry Johnson's brave acts in World War I, nobody holds the patent on stupidity -- or wisdom. We are all fallible human beings trying our best. We are locked into our world views by the time we reach puberty. If our world views are skewed one way or another, we tend to try to make reality fit, like a madman trimming puzzle pieces with scissors.
Of course it's wrong to do this, but people do it all the time -- for an illusion of security, for perfectly innocent and reasonable reasons. Human nature is at best a wild guess.

Gregory B. Johnson
560 Brown Ave.
Front Royal
Feb. 23, 2010

About letters
Letters to the editor about current events or topics of general interest are welcomed.
They must not exceed 350 words and must be signed and include the writer's complete address and telephone number. The phone number, which is for verification, will not be published.
Letters should be sent to 152 N. Holliday St., Strasburg 22657. They may also be e-mailed to jhoran@shentel.net or jhoran@nvdaily.com. E-mailed letters do not have to be signed, but a phone number is necessary for verification.

The measure is a follow-up to the $787 billion stimulus Congress approved last spring with only a handful of Republican votes. Thirteen GOP senators supported the new bill even though it is likely to be less effective than last year's law, widely derided by Republicans as a deficit-busting failure.

That story line retains traction because Republicans have steadfastly emphasized it, the Obama administration was both hampered by overly optimistic economic predictions and slow to counter the GOP claims and because unemployment, the gauge by which most people judge the economy, has remained stubbornly high.

Yet the best-known economic research firms agree that last year's bill has added from 1.6 million to 1.8 million jobs so far and will ultimately generate 2.5 million jobs. The Congressional Budget Office considers those estimates conservative.

The Wall Street Journal notes that only one-third of the $787 billion was spent in the first year, and much of that was on quick fixes like payments to states and local governments to avert layoffs of teachers and emergency responders.

Still to come is the bulk -- $160 billion vs. the $20 billion spent last year -- of the infrastructure money for roads and bridges, rail lines, water projects, what most people think of as stimulus. And also still to come is by far the greater part of the $288 billion in tax cuts in the bill.

Despite the Republicans criticism, the Obama administration's commitment to deficit spending averted a worse economic catastrophe, perhaps another Great Depression.

The tide of red ink cannot continue indefinitely without threatening the nation's fiscal well-being, but it is justified -- even necessary -- to combat serve economic downturns.