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Letters to the Editor
August 9, 2005
Bush Was Sold A Bill of Goods
The Galveston County Daily News consistently has supported the current Bush administration, including Bush’s capricious invasion of Iraq.
“Now,” in the words of President Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, Pa., “we are engaged in a great civil war…”
Except, Mr. Editor, it is not a civil war in the United States; it is in Iraq.
This newspaper has supported the George W. Bush Iraq policies, regardless of his exaggerations and outright prevarications on nonexistent Iraq weapons of mass destruction.
Bush was sold a bill of goods by charlatan mid-east banker Ahmed Chalibi. According to John Wizard of Salon.com magazine, Chalibi promised Bush that he knew exactly where Saddam had hidden Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.
In 2002, Chalibi, together with then Under Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, claimed that they knew “exactly” where Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction could be found. Now the whole world knows that was a lie.
Bush bought into that promise, but this letter writer was never sold, primarily, because actual knowledge of the exact locations of the alleged Iraq weapons of mass destruction by any U.S. ally would logically have been shared with U.N. weapons inspectors.
As many of us suspected, Bush’s claim of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction was just another Bush lie.
Richard Kirkpatrick
Texas City
Some residents of the Bolivar Peninsula, steamed by long waits for the ferry, have lobbied for a system of priority boarding passes.
Why Should Peninsula Residents Get Priority?
I have lived in Galveston for almost 40 years. During this time, there have always been lines at the ferry.
A few years ago, I thought of moving to the Bolivar Peninsula.
I looked at the ferry lines and I looked at the weekend traffic. I ruled out Bolivar and the West End of the island for the same reasons.
My question is for those people who continually complain about the ferry lines: Do you pay more taxes than I do? Probably not.
So why do you think that you have the right to board before me? My business is just as important as yours. I have just as much right to get on the ferry as you do.
When the Causeway is backed up, the Seawall is packed or Broadway is slow, there are no special lanes for us to drive on. We have to wait. If you live in Katy and work in downtown Houston, you just have to sit in traffic.
When considering a place to live, you must look at all factors.
Tally Fish
Galveston
In a column published July 31, Publisher and President Dolph Tillotson wrote: “I’m one who believes the government ought to stay out of our business whenever possible. However, I find myself yearning for one new law — a ban on cell phone use while driving.”
It Was A Remarkable Coincidence
One funny incident and accident: In our subdivision in Carrollton, a speeding car ended up in an inverted position on a corner lot.
Fortunately, the girl was wearing her seat belt and was unhurt.
The investigating officer was told by her that “the accelerator stuck.”
The interview was disrupted by a screaming voice coming from a cell phone in the bushes — still connected. The driver claimed that it wasn’t hers, but the caller “coincidentally” knew the driver.
Dave Helwick
Carrollton
Democrats Wrong About Social Security
Ray Holbrook is spot-on regarding Nick Lampson’s dishonest partisan position regarding Social Security (The Daily News, July 15).
Under Clinton, the Democrats rallied around a Social Security system that was badly broken and desperately in need of repair.
The Democrats’ (typical) brilliant idea was to simply raise taxes to fix the problem.
The Republicans agreed with the Democrats regarding the condition of Social Security, but strongly disagreed on the Democrat’s unimaginative “fix.”
Now through the magic of Democrats talking points and partisan chants, Social Security is “just peachy” under the Bush administration. In reality, the Democrats can’t come up with a better idea, so they’re now denying that there is a problem.
The facts prove that Social Security is in a shambles and heading for bankruptcy unless something is done.
Bush is promoting a progressive change that would move Social Security closer (for us common folks) to the much more solvent retirement programs presently enjoyed by federal and local government employees.
Still, neither one of these programs holds a candle to the generous pension programs enjoyed by Lampson and the elitist Democratic hierarchy that is feeding us this garbage.
So my question to our local Democrats is, “Was the Democratic leadership lying about Social Security under Clinton, or are the Democratic leaders lying about it now?”
The Democratic Party is stuck in the ’60s, has no new ideas and only strategy to regain power is its pathetic attempts to slime Bush, his people and his programs.
God bless George Bush, Dick Cheney, Tom DeLay and Karl Rove.
John Dreiss
Galveston
Writer Criticizing Wrong People
In regards to Charles Teixeira letter (The Daily News, July 30) concerning property taxes: Although he wrote specifically about his concern with Galveston’s city government, he states that government leaders are “out of touch with the average taxpayer.”
But leaders of all of our governing entities are elected by the public, many being re-elected several times.
With low voter turnout and far too many voters being relatively uninformed and uninvolved in their own governance, isn’t it the other way around?
Mr. Teixeira says taxes are growing “exponentially,” but I suspect he is referring to assessed values, not total taxes paid, since most tax rates have remained stable. Assessed values must be, by law, reflective of actual market values of property. And is the growth “exponential” or just constant?
I’ve always thought that one important reason to own a house was to increase one’s net worth through the accumulation of private wealth. Yet, every year property owners line up at the review board to protest the fact that they are worth more. Our tax system is based on the ability to pay, as reflected in market values of property. What could be fairer?
If Mr. Teixeira’s complaint is with the city’s spending or with the spending of any other governing entity, the appropriate time to complain is when that body adopts a budget. It’s very easy to suggest that increased property assessments provide local governments with, as he suggests, a “blank check,” but my experience is that spending is usually pretty carefully examined by elected officials each time a budget vote is taken.
I’m certain every elected official would appreciate comments, questions and informed suggestions from the voters about budget line items — not just broad assertions and generalizations.
Dennis Oakes
League City
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