True colors

During the Reagan-Bush years, Republicans showed their true colors. They don’t mind running up a huge national debt if they can pass it on to our children and grandchildren without being held accountable.

They aren’t against excessive government spending if the money goes to their supporters in the form of no-bid contracts, government subsidies and special tax breaks.

They claim they are Christians, but they act more like the moneychangers who Christ chased out of the temple. They couldn’t care less about people who really need help.

If they had always had their way, we wouldn’t have Social Security, Medicare, unemployment benefits or child labor laws.

It’s amazing how they are able to persuade so many people to vote against their own interests.

Evidently our education system isn’t teaching our citizens how to think for themselves, and Republicans want to keep it that way because it’s harder for them to fool educated, well-informed voters with their smears, distortions, phony patriotism and warped “moral values.”

It’s not just a coincidence that, in national elections, states that have high-ranking school systems are usually carried by Dem­ocrats and states with low-ranking school systems are usually carried by Republicans, especially in the Bible Belt, that land of aggressive ignorance, where many schools are more concerned about religion, patriotism and sports than they are about education.

They don’t want their students to learn how to be open-minded, independent thinkers because if they do, they might grow up to be liberals.

Bob Chaney,

Denton

A ‘free’ Iraq?

Cal Thomas wrote a column that you published recently, titled “History to judge Bush,” [Page 14A, July 9]. In it, he quotes our president as saying, “... a free and successful Iraq will end up serving as a pushback to Iranian movements in the Middle East.”

As someone who tries to keep up on world news and events, I vaguely remember Saddam Hussein’s Iraq as doing a pretty good job of keeping Iran in check.

A free Iraq with open elections may or may not accomplish the same goals. If the free Palestinian elections, where the Iranian-backed Hamas was somewhat successful in capturing key government posts, is any indication of what we can look forward to in Iraq, well then, what have we accomplished? I guess if our military never ever leaves Iraq, then maybe that will solve that problem.

Somehow, I think what we have done over there is going to not end up well for us, but that won’t be the first time for that end result, will it?

Bill Cox,

Sanger

Tax and spend

Well, the county government is still on a tax-and-spend agenda. Taxpayers are suffering from skyrocketing fuel, food and utility costs. Our county government could anticipate a potential of continuing in­creases in its costs, and recognize the bind that many taxpayers are in, and put cost reductions in place. Instead, it wants to increase the budget and add more employees.

The rest of us are recognizing the need to cut back. Why don’t our local governments get the same picture? Oh, yeah, that’s right, it’s not their money they’re spending.

Roger Strahan,

Denton

Follow the money!

Instead of “… rounding up accused murderers, rapists, and other serious criminals …,” Tuesday the Dallas County deputy sheriffs and constables “… turned their attention to speeders, red-light runners, and similar traffic offenders.” (The Dallas Morning News, July 2, “Ticket scofflaws hauled in”)

“The county hopes to collect some of the $200 million in unpaid traffic fines to help plug a $34 million shortfall.”

Larry Jambor,

Denton