Letters to the editor: Don't let 'Thaw' vote be rushed
It is very important that there be a public complaint about Council's action to vote on the Thaw being put on the ballot with it not being published on the agenda.
Council should put this on the next published agenda and have a public hearing before asking legislators to move forward.
This is too important an issue to rush it through without careful consideration. If everyone follows this "pass it on to the next guy" mentality, we will see a protection that homeowners may take for granted ripped away from them. Everyone do your homework, take your time and understand what you are voting on and the permanent consequences of your decisions. It affects many more than just yourself and generations to come.
Charmaine Crabb
Columbus
Concurrence
It was a total sham the mayor and council voted last Tuesday on a very important issue that effects everybody in Columbus -- to send a request to our Legislators, a ballot question to change and lift the tax freeze. It was a 9-1 vote to do so. This was not on the agenda, It was verbally brought up by the Mayor, no input from anybody except the attorney from Atlanta, no other person was allowed to speak, a vote was rushed without much discussion, and no one even saw or heard the actual ballot question.
It was not a surprise to some, as somebody gave the "lift the freeze" crowd a heads up. The taxpayers and public should have known about this vote. This is back room politics at its best.
I am very disappointed in the Council, I did hear about this at the last minute and asked them to at least delay or table the motion to the next Council meeting. I did not receive one acknowledgement of my message. Gary Allen and I did talk some on Tuesday. He did listen to my concerns.
This tax freeze issue is so important that it should not be done without some input from the taxpayers, not under the secret process of a few. Where is the openness and transparency we hear is needed so much?
Lifting the tax freeze question is so different from what the Mayor has been trying to sell us, we should have been informed.
Alton Russell
Columbus
Loaves and fishes
Representative Paul Ryan, disciple and devotee of the evil Ayn Rand, the world's chief proponent of selfishness, wants to slash Social Security and turn Medicare into a voucher bonanza for the insurance industry. As Speaker of the House, he is in a position to do serious harm to all seniors.
Congress has voted itself the most generous medical package on earth, including routine care from the physician in the Capitol; physicals and other exams; X-rays and lab work; physical therapy and referrals to specialists; and free medical and emergency dental care at military hospitals. Our parents and grandparents, however, having worked their entire lives to give their children whatever benefits possible, are now forced in old age to face the prospects of being unable to provide for their own medical needs.
In the wealthiest country on earth, to show so little respect and care for seniors puts the lie to those who claim, unjustly, that America is a "Christian nation, founded on Christian principles." Humbug! If Jesus should return, he would be overturning tables in Congress, not in the temples. That's where the money-grubbers sit, dominating the lives of those who voted them into power.
The Republicans offered us the following paragons of compassion as candidates for President: Ben Carson would abolish Medicare altogether; Jeb Bush would phase it out; Rand Paul calls it "socialism;" Chris Christie would raise eligibility age to 67.
Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders has fought for working people for his entire 30 years in politics. He has fought for income fairness; equal pay for women and minorities; reining in the excesses of Wall Street; making America a place where students can gain an education without plunging into lifelong debt; and where every American can receive quality medical care, not just billionaires and congressional fat cats.
Judy F. Brouillette
Columbus
Strongest on defense
Having spent over 12 years living on both sides of the Chattahoochee, I want to share my reasons as a retired Army colonel, and Infantry School C&GSC and Army War College graduate for supporting Senator Ted Cruz.
Senator Cruz has released a detailed plan for a Reagan-style rebuild of our military that ensures America's capability to decisively defeat radical Islamist terrorists. It also enhances our military's technological superiority to deter or defeat any resurgent military peer. Benchmarks include a fully trained and equipped Army of 525,000; a Navy of 350 ships; and an Air Force with 6,000 aircraft, including 1,500 tactical fighters.
Only Ted Cruz has endorsed the non-partisan Center for Military Readiness (CMR) survey's sound defense priorities over social engineering within our Armed Forces. The other candidates can't seem to embrace the six CMR priorities that are already in the GOP platform.
Senator Rubio's campaign has misrepresented Cruz's votes against National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) to spread false rumors that Cruz doesn't care about our troops, and that he's weak on defense. Cruz has always supported funding levels in appropriations acts, ensuring our forces have the resources to accomplish their mission. He has, however, voted against thousand-plus page NDAAs because of objectionable provisions, including some of dubious constitutionality. o his credit, Cruz voted against the 2015 NDAA that drastically overhauled the military retirement program that will harm future war-fighting readiness, because he understands that our most vital military elements are the men and women who selflessly serve.
More recently, Ted Cruz and other Senate leaders introduced legislation to bar entry of not-properly-vetted refugees from terrorist-ridden regions. Rubio supported giving the President unilateral authority to admit more of them.
Charles J. Winn
Stuart, Fla.
This story was originally published February 29, 2016 at 12:04 PM with the headline "Letters to the editor: Don't let 'Thaw' vote be rushed ."