Letters to the Editor for Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009

• Kudzu and politics synonymous

Kudzu is taking over our country. In some parts, the take over is already complete. Whoa — just a minute, give me time. I’ll bet that some of you are already jumping ahead and are visualizing the parallel between kudzu and the morass or quagmire that we find our country in today. Easy parallel — right?

Right. Kudzu was brought into this country to aid in controlling erosion and it has done just that. I remember it in the ’40s and ’50s. If not contained, it literally spreads like wildfire and will quickly consume the entire country side. The present administration was elected to control erosion but its performance is suspect at best.

Our government is infested with kudzu. It’s not a Democratic thing nor a Republican thing nor a black thing nor white thing. Neither did it just happen during Bush’s term either — it goes back many decades. Like kudzu, it began insidiously — nobody noticed at first. Later on, maybe somebody did notice it spread but did nothing about it. Leave it alone — someone else may see it and do something. That’s how it started. Now then, add greed, dishonesty, selfishness, corruption, power (lots of power) and all the other adjectives you can think of. In that environment, people began to think that maybe I can get by with anything I would like to do because nobody will notice. That prevailing attitude has brought us up to the circumstances that we find ourselves in today. Kudzu and politics are synonymous.

Americans, not Democrats nor Republicans, have got to stop this erosion of the principles and values that have made our country great. Millions have paid the ultimate price to establish this process which we all cherish. Yes, we have finally noticed and are going to stop the kudzu. Do your part. Don’t just belly-ache, do something. God bless America.

W. Troy Tolbert

Valdosta

Brig Gen., USAF (ret)

• The mother of all unfunded mandates

Jimmy Carter, big media and many liberal politicians have been quick to condemn President Obama’s conservative critics as “un-American” and even “racist.” But would they label fellow Democrats the same? Governor Phil Bredesen (D-TN) may find out soon enough. He has been an outspoken critic of the huge costs of ObamaCare for some time.

ObamaCare will be implemented by opening up Medicaid to virtually everyone. The Washington Post recently described ObamaCare as “the biggest expansion of Medicaid since its creation in 1965.” The problem is that the cost of Medicaid is shared between the federal government and the states. And Washington’s plan to turn Medicaid into ObamaCare has virtually every governor and state legislator panicking.

Back in July, Gov. Bredesen called the plan, “the mother of all unfunded mandates.” How does he feel now, with unemployment creeping toward 10 percent? The Post quotes Bredesen as saying, “I can’t think of a worse time for this bill to be coming. … nobody’s going to put their state into bankruptcy or their education system in the tank for it.”

Bredesen is right. The bill is “the mother of all unfunded mandates.” He notes that if the bill passes, Tennessee can expect a billion dollars in extra Medicaid costs in the first five years alone, and says, “I have no idea how we’re going to afford it.”

Unfortunately, I know exactly what will happen: Our taxes will go up. Virtually every state in the union operates on a balanced budget, and if the liberal Democrats in Congress pass ObamaCare, state budgets will explode, as will tax rates.

The evidence, not to mention common sense, indicates that big government only increases costs and decreases the quality of care.

Bill Malone

Valdosta

• I have rights too

I am not a smoker, however, I am a citizen with rights and I don't like those rights being taken away. Those who smoke have as much right to do so where it is available as those who don't smoke have the right not to be around it.

It should be the proprietor’s decision whether or not his or her business provides for smokers. They pay the property tax, the overhead and insurance for the business. How is it someone else's place to tell them what they can do or not do with the business?

If you don't want to be around smoke, you have the right not to go to that particular establishment. I don't particularly like going out to dinner and have a child crying at the table next to me, but I don't forbid the parents from being there with their children. The issue is not whether smokers have rights, but whether we as citizens have rights. This goes for alcohol also. If you drink and drink responsibly, you have a right to consume the beverage.

People do know the health risks they are taking when smoking and drinking too much. It's their bodies and if they want to abuse it then by all means let them, they are adults.

Lynn Cooper

Hahira

• Vote no on expansion referendum

Voters in Lowndes County are being asked to vote yes or no on the expansion of the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners by the addition of two super-districts. Here’s why we should vote no.

 The problem the proposed expansion is supposed to cure is that each of the current commissioners represents too many constituents. Currently we have three commissioners and a chair for all of Lowndes County. Each commissioner represents over 30,000 residents — too many people for one commissioner to represent effectively.

To the present three districts, the proposal adds two super-districts, each covering half the county. Whoever is elected from each super-district would have to represent over 45,000 residents. Thus the proposed method of expanding the county commission makes the problem of representing too many residents worse, not better.

Moreover the proposed expansion does not reflect the demographic diversity of Lowndes County (about 34 percent African-American). Since neither of the proposed super-districts has a majority of minority residents, the county commission is likely to go from one minority member out of three to one out of five.

To increase participation in the political process, we need smaller districts, not larger ones. So let’s vote no on the proposed expansion with super-districts and send the issue back to the county commission to come up with a better plan for expansion.

Dennis W. Marks

Lowndes County

• Walking to fight cancer

Wal-Mart stores held a Walk to Fight Cancer on Saturday at the Valdosta Middle School’s track. The stores hope to raise $9,000 for the fight against cancer. Many of the walkers wore the “Making Strides” in the fight against cancer T-shirt. Each employee raised $100 to participate in this walk.

Ashley Braswell of the American Cancer Society thanked everyone for their participation in this walk and spreading the word to fight cancer. Five things to tell your friends, your family about breast cancer:

1. All women can get breast cancer — even those with no family history of the disease.

2. The two most important factors for breast cancer are being a woman and growing older.

3. Women diagnosed with early breast cancer, have a high chance of surviving it. Mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early; get one every year starting at age 40.

4. You can help reduce your changes of developing breast cancer by engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight and limiting alcohol intake and not smoking.

5. Through early detection and improved treatments more women than ever are surviving breast cancer.

For more info contact American Cancer Society 1-800-ACS-2345 or www.cancer.org.

Nina King

Valdosta