The road to ruin

Every day this nation is going deeper and deeper in the red! At this rate, our country will soon be turned over to the very people we have helped or tried to help with our monetary and food supplies over the years.

We have saved numerous countries from falling under the control of various dictators, tyrants and murderers, and yet we, the hard-working, taxpaying people here in America, are being forced to give up all the vitally necessary things we cherish most: health care, jobs, numerous civil liberties, freedom of speech, fair justice system, right to bear arms and home ownership, all in the name of change.

Guess who really owns the title to our country now — China, Great Britain, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and probably other countries I don’t even know about. Why? Because they (our politicians) have borrowed us into debt.

The sad part is, we just keep borrowing and selling our American companies to outsiders like Belgium (they bought Budweiser). I wouldn’t doubt that GM could someday go to Spain or someone else.

There is a point where this has to stop and reverse itself so that our existence won’t be based on how much more we have to give up, but what we can do to grow and depend only on each other.

This flag of ours has to start to mean something to each of us, or we will lose every freedom we have known! Remember what happened to the Romans?

Jack Cox,

Denton

Cars and health care

“The ultimate question is whether state-owned GM can consistently make cars that Americans want to buy. …” (DRC, Editorial Page, “Kicking the tires on GM deal,” June 4.)

Shouldn’t the ultimate question be, “A state-owned GM?”

“President Barack Obama … called for at least another $200 billion in cuts to the federal Medicare and Medicaid insurance programs for senior citizens and poor families to pay for expanded coverage … in addition to $300 billion in cuts requested earlier. … The U.S Chamber of Commerce called the mandate a ‘job killer.’”

Will we all have the health coverage that the president, senators and congressmen — as well as their staffs — have? They want to plunder a half-trillion dollars from Medicare and Medicaid. That’s the aged and the poor! And weren’t the Medicare recipients dragooned to pay into the compulsory system for their 50 or so working years?

Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago that the elderly received notice of a $250 “stimulus” from the Social Security Administration?With one hand they “give” $250; with the other they “take” $500 billion. And what happens in between?

Anyone care to guess which walnut shell the pea is under?

Larry Jambor,

Denton

Strong-arm tactics

Imagine if it were common practice among surgeons to rouse their patient from anesthesia after making a few incisions to renegotiate their fee and to set new conditions for surgery.

Fortunately, such an ethically challenged physician would soon be barred from the practice of medicine. Another reason such a thing would never happen is that physicians apparently have little in common with real estate developers.

I suppose it is likely that there are conscientious real estate developers who live up to their original commitments, follow the prescribed guidelines and meet or exceed all expectations, but I have never seen it.

I applaud this paper’s recent editorial [May 26] about the continued concessions to the developers of the Rayzor Ranch complex. As the editorial noted, “developers are always — always — going to seek added concessions after they have accepted all the incentives they can manage to wheedle out of the city.”

However, there is enough blame to go around. While it is up to the Planning and Zoning Commission to keep the developers in check, it is up to the City Council and the residents of Denton to keep the commission on its toes.

If the city of Denton wants to augment its tax base with such developments as Rayzor Ranch, then go ahead, as the editorial remarks, “abandon all pretexts and give the developers free rein.”

Continue with these concessions and the developers will be lined up like flies on a dead horse.

John Pickett,

Denton

A modest proposal

I have lived in Denton for a long time, and over the years have noticed that many local events are not covered by the Denton Record-Chronicle.

For instance, this year the Denton Dog Days was held on two days rather than one, Friday evening and Saturday during the day. The Friday evening activities were never mentioned in Saturday’s paper and from reading the article in Sunday’s paper, I could tell that the reporter attended only the Saturday affair.

 Many amusing, newsworthy stories and photo opportunities of a local nature are missed by reporters and photographers.

My suggestion is that the Denton Record-Chronicle allow some volunteers, possibly journalism students with the dream of becoming a reporter, or an amateur reporter who may write for a school paper or send in letters to the editor, to cover such events and be allowed to publish them on a “Citizen Reporting” page.

This would also be a great opportunity for amateur or semi-professional photographers to get their photos published.

By the way, I would like to thank the two young gentlemen of grade-school age who volunteered to take my extra-large dog on stage when they thought he could win one of the categories.

They did a great job as “professional” handlers and helped the dog win a blue ribbon. The boys received a bag of goodies and snow cones as a reward.

Charles L. (Chuck) Roedema,

Denton

Give Obama a chance

It’s interesting that many of the senators who supported President Bush and got us into all this mess that President Obama is trying to get us out of are now opposing all the well thought-out programs he’s going to need.

It’s also interesting that they supported that Bush agenda for the wealthiest in our country while now opposing what will aid all Americans.

Let’s tell them to get behind President Obama and give his plans a chance to work.

Dolores Vann,

Denton