|
Letters for Oct. 27, 2009
Published October 27, 2009
Constitution clear on state-sponsored prayer
I’ve long been fascinated with how wonderful our Bill of Rights truly is, and saddened by how often it gets trampled. However, I can’t help but wonder about some of the people who don’t seem to grasp the plain English of the First Amendment.
Our courts consistently rule that public officials are prohibited from promoting their personal religious values — for instance, in public schools — upon others.
It doesn’t matter if these people are Christian, Muslim, Hindu or followers of the Imaginary Pink Unicorn. You simply don’t have the right to express your personal religious values on the taxpayer’s dime, end of story. That is the “separation of church and state” we hear so much about, and it is the prohibition of our government “respecting the establishment of religion” found within our First Amendment.
If you want to pray at a podium, do it in a church and follow the law.
Barry Rhodes, Angleton
---
U.S. exceptionalism is under attack
There is a movement afoot to destroy American exceptionalism. President Barack Obama, when asked if he believed in American exceptionalism, answered, “Sure, just as every other nation believes in its own exceptionalism.” Sounds nice, but the problem with that is: If everybody is exceptional, nobody is exceptional.
Exceptionalism is really about liberty and leadership. If America is the exceptional nation, then clearly we are the one to emulate. When we look around the world, the places where we see nations moving into prosperity we see it is the American model they are moving toward.
It is not the government, or even the people, that make America exceptional. While America once was a melting pot, it has been pushed into being a collage, and thus less exceptional. It is the empowerment of individual liberty created by the limitations on government that makes America exceptional. We are a nation ruled by law, not men, where power is distributed as close to the people as possible. Even as central government rises in power, the Constitution’s checks and balances and the Bill of Rights restrains that government.
Those who would destroy this exceptionalism simply want us to be like unexceptional socialist Europe.
Rocky Chambers, Pasadena
---
BISD bond issue not responsible spending
Well, now I am really confused. The conservatives on this page say we are headed to hell in a handbasket under President Barack Obama. The glossy bond election circular says the robust economy we remember pre-Bush is right around the corner. No one can guarantee where we will be, and when.
Let me say up front we should give the children of Brazosport ISD what they need, and not what a certain group wants. These hard economic times demand we do only what is needed until better times are here. We can’t keep up this conservative tax, and spend like it’s Christmas. To some folks, these tax increases are pocket change, but to others they are a big deal.
They say we will save money, but when has anything come in on time and on budget? A delay will cost $9 million, but if we do this right we can save much more. This is not responsible spending. Remember, this is the group that went to Disneyland for a conference 70 strong, because they already had made reservations. In my world, reservations can be canceled.
Like buying a car unseen, and no test-drive, spend and vote responsibly, my friends.
Frank B. Fox Jr., Lake Jackson
---
Bond plan appears to be failed strategy
I have read with interest the articles associated with the upcoming school bond proposals. Based on the Sept. 6 Facts article by Katlynn Lanham, we are experiencing steadily declining school enrollment with no economic growth and potentially declining area population.
Brazosport ISD’s revenues from enrollment-based state funding have declined as enrollment has declined. The Oct. 23 Facts article by the same reporter indicates the school administration intends to ask the voters for $8 million to $10 million every six years for maintenance, even if the current $166 million bond election passes.
This averages an additional maintenance request of $1.5 million per year, a 300 percent increase from the current $520,000 annual budget. Therefore, our solution to school costs is to replace depreciated assets with new ones — thus increasing fixed costs — while quadrupling maintenance expenditures. So, if I understand correctly, in a declining market — declining enrollment, no economic growth and declining property tax base — we plan to continually increase prices (taxes) while expanding our asset base?
One might suggest this is a failed strategy. Perhaps the school board needs to be told to start over.
Dan Ramsey, Lake Jackson
---
YOURVOICE
The Facts welcomes letters of up to 200 words and guest columns of up to 500 words.
Writers should limit themselves to one submission a week.
All submissions must include an address and telephone number to be used for verification. Letters which cannot be verified within 14 days will not be published.
Mail letters to: The Facts, P.O. Box 549, Clute, TX 77531; fax to 979-265-9052, or e-mail to opinions@ thefacts.com.
Letters also can be dropped off at The Facts office at 720 S. Main in Clute.
Share |
Save |
Mail |
Print
|
