Webster’s defines barbaric as: uncivilized, primitive, wild, crude, unrestrained. It doesn’t speculate on the length of time it takes a civilization to go full circle, or whether it is a trickle up or trickle down process.—Al Schalow, Midlothia

. . . Health care reform is a cruel joke perpetrated on the American people by congressional Democrats and Republicans. They are using smoke and mirrors to make it appear they are doing something—when actually they’re accepting donations left and right from big insurance, big pharmacy, and the American Medical Association to change absolutely nothing. Nobody wants health care reform but poor people. And we all know what chance they have of getting it—the same as that snowball in you-know-where.

When is President Obama going to appoint a VP czar? This person could accompany Vice President Biden on speaking engagements and—after he is finished, explain to us what Biden meant to say.—Harold W. Fleenor, Richmond

. . . That great American philosopher, Yogi Berra, must have had our government’s current energy policy in mind when he observed, “In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is.“ The theory is that some day, alternative energy sources will be discovered and developed. But in practice, until that happens, we are all driving petroleum-powered vehicles. If we could somehow require all politicians who oppose oil exploration in the U. S. to drive wind-powered or solar cars, we’d be drilling for oil before sundown.

When entering a building, why are we always instructed to “open the other door”?—Gene Puckett, Midlothia

. . . During his entire administration, Gov. Tim Kaine has painted a dire transportation scenario of the sky falling if large new taxes were not enacted to infuse cash into Virginia roads. After three and a half years of crying wolf, I have noticed no difference for the worse in my road travels through the state. And that is without any large tax increases for transportation that I am aware of. As Kaine’s term limps to its conclusion, I have yet to feel that piece of sky fall on my head.

With a son fighting in Afghanistan, shouldn’t I, and we as a nation, be very concerned with the situation in nearby Pakistan? Soon we will have 60,000-plus Americans in the war zone. With several unfriendly former Soviet states as well as Iran, China, and, now, a threatened Pakistan surrounding our troops, haven’t we put them in the position of being between a rock and a hard place? I fear more now for my son and his buddies than when he served in Iraq.

Rumor has it that a group of concerned U.S. citizens is pondering ways to form an alternative legislative branch of government. The goal is to allow the electorate a second opinion regarding bills passed by members who actually read the bills.—Al Schalow, Midlothia

. . . The April 15 Tea Party was aptly named, as it was a scene right out of “Alice in Wonderland.“ Barack Obama has been president for three months, just gave 95 percent of us a tax cut, and the new tax rate on the top 5 percent of incomes is 10 percentage points less than it was under the sainted Ronald Reagan, yet the U.S. tax burden is outrageous and it is Mr. Obama’s fault. The political right remains blissfully fact-averse.—Jim O’Connor, Richmond

Joe Biden is a human gaffe machine. Given his penchant for bunk, balderdash, and blarney, perhaps he should be known as Vice President Joe Isuzu.—Bob Visco, Mechanicsville

. . . I think it would be helpful if the pro-union contingent would be honest about the fact that even the union dues they collect from their Republican membership end up being contributed to the political campaigns of Democrats. It’s what the unions are not telling you, like the differential in pay between the union management and rankand-file workers, that you need to worry about. Unions are about collecting the money of workers and businesses in the name of perpetuating the union. It isn’t about workers’ rights.—Randy Lofland, Midlothian

I’m really disgusted at the amount of anti-union talk that is going around the commonwealth these days, especially in the area of Southside Virginia. I don’t know where people think that their rights as workers would have come from, the bosses? I don’t think so. When you get your paycheck that is more than minimum wage, when you work your 40-hour week or if you work more than 40 hours, if you get your guaranteed overtime, if you have health benefits, if you have all of the things that you now enjoy as an employee—you better thank the union.—Annette Jackson, Petersburg

The bill that Gov. Timothy M. Kaine says he will sign will discourage not a single person from texting while driving. There is a $20 or $50 fine, but only if you’re first caught doing something else. If you’re already going to pay a fine for speeding, what’s another $20 on top of that? Once you’ve wrecked your car, what’s another $50?—David J. Kupstas, Henrico

What is the difference between paying corporate executives unearned bonuses and the buyout of athletic coaches’ unearned salaries? It appears that both are receiving money that is either directly or indirectly from taxpayers. I know some will say that the coaches are paid from alumni funds. If so, let the alumni pay them, not the schools, and then I have no quarrel.—Billy J. Braughton, Henrico

Can anyone tell me the difference between Madoff’s scheme and Social Security? Just in case he doesn’t receive a long sentence and is looking for work, his ability to make money disappear will fit nicely into the job openings at the Treasury Department.—Gene Mrava, Midlothia

. . . President Obama stands before his teleprompter and states to the nation that he inherited this huge deficit from the previous administration. Unless there has been a change to the Constitution, Congress must appropriate and approve any spending measure. They did and he voted yes on the TARP bill and has said yes to every subsequent bailout since. This deficit is due to him and each member of Congress who voted yes.—J. Howard Humphreys, Richmond

I would like to give a big thank you to the postal and newspaper carriers, power companies, and Virginia Department of Transportation employees for a job well done during the big snowstorm.—David Packett, Richmond

. . . The local television stations did an outstanding job of posting school, church, and business closings during our recent winter storm. However, it would be nice to have an option to turn off the crawler after reading it morning, noon, and night for four days. The option would be similar to the “caption” feature found on most TVs.—Richard Ols, Chesterfield

I can’t help but think about a prediction that was made by Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. That prediction was “The United States of America would destroy itself from within.“ Now it appears that President Obama, with the help of Democrats in Congress, is doing all he can to make that prediction become a reality with the wild spending of taxpayers’ money.—Ben Cooke, Hopewell

Instead of enacting new laws aimed at loud motorcycles, why not enforce existing noise laws? A good example would be to issue citations to the dog owners who leave their pets outside to bark all day and night.—Roger Forsyth, Chesterfield

. . . Is it possible that the reason we can’t support minor-league hockey, minor-league this, minor-league that, is because there are just too many fun things around here to do?—David J. Kupstas, Henrico

While I am hopeful for the changes desired by President Barack Obama, I am reminded that he now has to work with the same uncooperative Congress that failed to work with President Bush. It has an undisputed reputation for being counterproductive and for having the lowest approval rating ever. What makes people think Congress would give up its power and glory to a young ambitious president who would get the credit? After all, Congress does not work for the people; it works for the political parties.—Jo King, Mechanicsville

Why don’t the car companies borrow money from Exxon?—Noreen Brown, Richmond

. . . Goochland County announced that it used sales from 2006 to 2008 for current property assessments. Assessments are 100 percent of a home’s current value, but Goochland uses 2006 sales. How can this reflect true current value? How many other areas compute it the same way?—Dennis A. Wright, Hartfield