Editor, Times-Union: President Clinton says that they will fix Social Security and maybe even bring more people under it.
The day after the State of the Union, it was announced that the national debt was $5.49 trillion.
If you don't have any money in your pocket or bank account and someone owes you $100. At the same time you owe $5,000 as a debt on your house. Then you are paid the $100 but instead of making your house payment you buy something else. It will not take long until you lose your house. This is the same situation that the government is in.
Most of you people seem to have Socialist leanings. You want the government to provide everything, but you do not realize that you have to give to the government in order for the government to give to you. The more you want from government, the more you have to give to government.
Mr. Clinton, along with the Congress, has given us NAFTA, which has cost probably a quarter of a million jobs. It has increased the flow of crops across the borders (both legal and illegal). Edible crops are coming in with pesticides used on them that are illegal in this country and meat that is tainted, yet very little of this stuff is inspected. So much for your good health.
This country is going to get more than it desires, and you can be guaranteed it is going to be far more than you want and you are not going to like it.
The Greek and Roman Empires lasted several centuries. I doubt if the United States can survive another 50 years.
If promises that cannot be produced make you great or will bankrupt your country and this is what you the taxpayer want, go for it.
There is a fairy tale in which a child says, "The emperor has no clothes." This could apply here.
Clayton Alfred Peru
Iraq
Editor, Times-Union: I was reading the paper today and the article or letter to the editor from Deanna Newton caught my attention.
If Iraq hates Americans, shame on them, but if you don't back your country, shame on you. It may be a harsh thing to say, but this is our country. The American people put Mr. Clinton in office, and as far as foreign relations go we should back him. The decision for military action may or may not be right, but being a former service man I do know what it is like to hear about people not supporting U.S. actions. If the service men and women that are over in the Middle East could read all this garbage about the president and U.S. involvement in Iraq, how do you think they would react? Well, I've been there twice and it isn't a very pleasant feeling to hear about fellow Americans not backing the armed forces. If you don't think Mr. Clinton is doing a good job, well then vote or run for office yourself, since you know so much about politics.
Johnny Pennington Warsaw
Thanks To Officer
Editor, Times-Union: We would like to publicly thank deputy sheriff officer Donald Wiesehan Jr. for the wonderful, informative tour of the Kosciusko County Sheriff Department. He was very kind, treated each one of us with respect, listened and answered each one of our questions.
We are proud to have fine men like Deputy Wiesehan to help us and to protect us when we need them.
Thanks again, Mr. Wiesehan! May God protect and bless you and all the other officers.
The American Guys and Gals 4-H Club
Kolbe Criticized
Editor, Times-Union: Pathetic. That is the only word that I feel reflects my feelings after reading the letter to the editor submitted by Prosecutor David Kolbe, Nov. 13, 1997. Please remember that the letter was not written in response to any criticism by an irate citizen and did not address any particular issue of public concern. It was his opinion of his own accomplishments. A glowing tribute to him by him.
Over the years, our county has been blessed with scores of hardworking and dedicated public officials. They have performed their duties effectively, seeking little, if any, public adulation. Do any of you remember any such letters submitted by Avis Gunter, Maurice Beer, Kathryn Teel or Ron Sharp? I don't think so. Why then this letter from Mr. Kolbe? What separates Mr. Kolbe from these other elected officials? I believe that the answer is that these other elected officials were personally secure in the quality of the work they performed and in the knowledge that their fellow office holders and constituents knew that they were fulfilling their official obligations. Mr. Kolbe is neither philosophically secure in his position as the prosecutor, nor does he enjoy the support and confidence of his fellow office holders or his chief constituents, the police. While wanting so desperately to be perceived publicly as a tough prosecutor, Mr. Kolbe has remained a defense attorney. Because of his inability to resolve this internal conflict, the past three years have been disastrous for the prosecutor's office and for the county's law enforcement in general. Mr. Kolbe has found himself at odds with the courts, the probation department and virtually all of the law enforcement agencies that serve this county. He has very publicly inserted his office into numerous local issues involving police agencies in Warsaw, Silver Lake and Syracuse, with no positive results. He has alienated the members of the local bar association and has caused the administration of justice in this county to be the subject of jokes in the prosecutor's offices of adjoining courts. He has been unable to cooperatively work with other office holders in the courthouse. While publicly initiating several new "programs" and increasing his staff considerably, the cost-effectiveness of the programs is questionable. Staff turnovers have been high and the office is often in a state of upheaval and flux, leaving employees uncertain as to their future. More seriously, the office that has very publicly portrayed itself as aggressively prosecuting wrongdoers has very quietly engaged in a continuing course of conduct which includes the failure to actively oppose sentence modifications for felony drug dealers and arsonists, systematic reduction by plea agreements of felony filings to minimal misdemeanor sentences, the special treatment of certain individuals suspected of crimes, the continual jeopardizing of undercover drug operations by Mr. Kolbe's affinity for press coverage, the unprofessional treatment of victims and their families, and an overzealous harassment of police officers serving in state, county and local departments.
A man who finds it so necessary to publicly sing his own praises should be suspect, particularly if there is no supporting chorus. Talk to your police officers and county office holders about the operation of your prosecutor's office. I am confident in their reply. "Pathetic."
Perry L. Hunter Warsaw
Iraq
Editor, Times-Union: The greatest thing about America is that every person is entitled to their opinion. This letter is in response to the letter on Iraq printed in your Feb. 2 issue.
I've served most of my adult life in the military. My last tour of duty was with the 82nd Airborne Division. I spent nine months in the Saudi Arabian Desert, before, during and after the Gulf War. I've seen first-hand the horror of war. I, if anyone, should be against further military strikes in Iraq over the use of sanctions. But Saddam Hussein is a ruthless dictator, who not only murdered members of his own family but used weapons of mass destruction on his own people to retain his deadly dictatorship.
Just let your mind wonder and imagine what this man would do if he was able to develop and retain the capability to deliver biological or nuclear weapons hundreds or thousands of miles beyond his borders. Then we all would be running for cover and calling for retaliation military strikes. By then it's too late, the damage is done and thousands upon thousands of people could be lying dead.
No ma'am, I'm a realist, and all Saddam Hussein has to do is to allow the United Nations inspectors full access to all areas, government, private and industrial. The United Nations chose the weapons inspection team, not the United States. If Iraq had nothing to hide then they wouldn't be playing political chess with the United Nations. If Iraq complies with the inspection team not only would there be no air strikes, but sanctions on the country as a whole may be lifted. This inspection team is a unilateral representation of the United Nations and only reflects the direct views of that body.
You all have to understand we lost lots of American men and women during the Gulf War. Iraq lost, they surrendered, unconditionally, a direct result of their aggression. They are testing not only the resolve of the United States but the resolve of the United Nations and most likely are concealing nuclear and biological weapons.
President Clinton is a draft dodger and that will haunt him the rest of his political life. The unfinished mess (Gulf War) was left in his lap by a previous administration who decided to end it prematurely, so they wouldn't lose popular opinion for the war. We were there to do a job and not allowed to finish it. To this day it makes me sick to see Saddam Hussein in the news still playing tyrant on the world stage shaking his fist at the United States. Knowing fully well I buried good friends during the Gulf War for an empty victory.
