Letters to the Editor for Kennebec Journal

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Iraq war costs $1 billion a week

In regard to tsunami relief, "compassionate conservatism" means being hypocritical and miserly. Our taxes are squandered in Iraq to the tune of $1 billion a week. A billion is 1,000 million. The United States government announces it will cough up $35 million in relief to help the millions in the Indian Ocean. That amount is just under the cost of six hours of the Iraqi operation. And a mere pittance compared to the need.

The Europeans and Japanese and Australians have already pledged far larger amounts, but compassion according to the current administration means the wealthiest nation on the planet gives only lip service to a historic humanitarian need and throws a few tarnished pennies into the pot.

I urge readers to contact our senators and representatives to force our government to kick in much more assistance. Surely they could lay down their arms in Iraq for 24 hours and take a much- needed break and send the $143 million saved thereby to the tsunami victims instead.

Barbara Skapa

Mount Vernon

bskapa@gwi.net

Elderly need

Willow Street store

I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed location of the new Hannaford store behind Cony High School's historic flatiron building.

First of all, picture what the store would look like in that location. Second, think about what the traffic issues would be like around the rotary and all the arteries that extend off the rotary. It makes about as much sense as putting a large shopping mall off Storey Street, but I won't go there.

Third, and most important, what about the elderly people and other people without transportation who shop at the Hannaford store on Willow Street? One of those people is a good friend, a former neighbor of mine whose mobility is not what it used to be. He is able to cross Willow Street from the Kennebec Plaza apartments to do his own shopping. He would be unable to do this any longer if the Willow Street Hannaford closes.

Elderly people and others who live in the area can safely walk to the Willow Street store without fear of being run down trying to cross the street at the rotary. Unless I am off base, I thought the Hannaford management was all about serving the needs of the public. There is already one super-size Hannaford off Western Avenue. Do we really need two super-size Hannafords in Augusta? Are they trying to run Shaw's, WalMart, and Sam's Club out of business? If there really is such a need for another Hannaford store, why not locate it somewhere else where it makes more sense?

Hugh E. Sipowicz

Augusta

True believers pray

for letter writer

This letter is in response to Jeffrey Green's letter of Dec. 23. I have nothing but pity for Mr. Green and his "wishful thinking" view of Christianity and human origin. I suppose that Mr. Green is correct as to our beginnings and that billions of followers of Christ are wrong, duped even. Our ideas of consciousness are no longer valid because of modern technology. How sad.

Let us not even discuss the idea of morals. I suppose we just developed the whole idea of right and wrong inherently and we can disregard the idea that God instilled these in us from birth. Let us put aside the evidence from the Bible that severely outweighs the evolutionary theory, and that there is increasing evidence for creation and less for the apes. Christ died for Mr. Green. His idea of the grave being the final act is distorted and the "born-again true believers" will pray that he comes to this understanding before it is too late.

Skip Dunning

Winthrop

skipdunning@hotmail.com

Voters have spoken

on school funding

State government will not increase taxes to fund education. Local government cannot make the same choice. Didn't we ask the state for help to fund education at 55 percent when we voted last June?

Neil Farrington

China

tcb@pivot.net

Most voters favor

Democratic majority

I agree with your Dec. 31 editorial advising that the U.S. Senate not tamper with the right of filibuster. Democrats have filibustered some of President Bush's worst judicial choices, and they should keep that ability.

Note that on Nov. 2, 51.04 percent of the votes cast in the nation for the U.S. Senate were cast for Democratic nominees. Only 46.33 percent of the total national vote for the U.S. Senate was cast for Republican nominees. The other 2.63 percent went to minor party and independent candidates for U.S. Senate.

Most voters wanted a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate, and Republicans should bear that in mind.

Richard Winger

San Francisco

ban@richardwinger.com