Letters To The Editor, June 14

Administration Must Strictly Enforce Rules
Editor, Times-Dispatch: When a Republican-controlled government is streamlined and the greed of a capitalist society is allowed to run rampant, we soon complain when we have such huge calamities as the potential collapse of our entire banking system.

When a Democratic-controlled government increases the size and power of government, we soon complain about higher taxes and out-of-control debt. History has shown that any long-term successful democratic government must have strong rules that are strictly enforced. There also must be careful thought given to long-term, sustainable direction as the population grows. Neither of these traits was evident in the Bush era.

Many are complaining about bailing out GM to the tune of $50 billion. Yet many of these same folks will not hesitate to go out and buy an American-made gas-guzzler if they can get a great deal. We will spend $50 billion in Iraq and Afghanistan in approximately five months to protect their right to fill up gas-guzzler. We use 25 percent of the world's oil and yet have less than 5 percent of the world's population. This is not sustainable for the future success of our country.

Imagine the year 2050, when China, with five times our population, has grown in wealth to the point that it consumes the same per-capita amount of oil. Now throw in India, Brazil, and other rapidly developing countries. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that we have a problem. For all who say, "Drill, baby, drill," I urge them to review Exxon's latest annual report. It is just like any other American publicly held corporation and will do whatever it takes to please its stockholders. If this means it can get cheaper oil overseas using our military to defend it -- that's exactly what it will do.

Bill Shields.
Chesterfield.

Citing Sisyphus as how "Virginia's Indian tribes must feel" is wrong. Sisyphus was condemned for all eternity. Maybe you should have said Virgnia's Indian tribes must feel as if they have been "spitting in the wind." That should be easy for your readers to get -- and at least the wind will stop.

Rick Ciferno.
Mechanicsville.

If people don't understand what socialism means, they should look it up. It is a destructive type of government that has essentially destroyed every nation that has implemented it. It takes away personal rights and freedoms and allows the government to rule every aspect of one's life.

See how well it has worked for us with the government taking over banks and auto dealerships. It not only makes the nation poor, it is also against the Constitution. The government has no authority to take over banks or businesses, but the president and Congress have decided to ignore those laws.

Let me be clear -- it is not just the Democrats at fault but both parties. With the overload of one party controlling Congress, there is very little the Republicans can do, yet they seem willing to go along with the socialist agenda without comment. Do they agree or are they too afraid to say anything?

This Congress thinks it has the people overpowered and that we can do nothing. But we can do something. We can call, write, and demand that they follow constitutional law. And we can vote every one of them out of office.

Give Congress until October to correct the problems they've caused, or one-third of them can start looking for another job. No more taking over businesses, no more spending money we don't have, and no more cowering to foreign nations. They've already emptied the pockets of three generations of taxpayers. It's time to stop.

J. Dori Callahan.
Culpeper.

Instead of looking for racial bias, shouldn't the media be looking further in Sotomayor's 35 years of public record and previous rulings? As the Senate Judiciary Committee reviews the documentation on her past, my hope is that they will be attempting to determine if, as a Supreme Court justice, she will be upholding the Constitution and laws, or seeking to make policy by overturning our existing laws. Would she come to the Supreme Court with an agenda or a balanced approached based on the Constitution?

Please present a view of Sotomayor that will give us an idea of her record and the experiences she would bring to the court so that we will have a better understanding of the types of rulings she might make as a Supreme Court justice.

Vicki Eastwood.
Glen Allen.

Our people are already tired of increasing taxes and are becoming fed up. The recent votes against tax increases in California demonstrate this. The Chinese are getting tired of buying our debt, and would be asked to buy further enormous amounts to fund the new programs. It is unlikely they will do so. Also, the Chinese have warned us against printing more money and paying them off in inflated dollars. Further, Obama's cap-and-trade program, should it pass, will vastly increase the cost of energy that the public will be forced to shoulder.

If all these things happen (higher taxes, nationalized health care, inflation, higher energy costs), our citizens will never be able to get out of debt. Even if the initial costs are paid off, the ongoing entitlements will keep us buried in debt forever.

All of this is simple insanity -- or President Obama and the Democrats intending to destroy the country. We can only assume it is one or the other. W. Homer & Sara Ballard Jr. Colonial Heights.