Downtown life
Who did our city planners and advocates expect to be downtown late at night? Now that they have spent all the money to coax people to come to the restaurants and bars, did they just now begin to realize that people would be drinking late at night and making noise, which would violate city ordinances ("Sidewalk nightlife sparks debate," Aug. 25)? Were they expecting people to be quietly reading or playing bridge?
Why do we even have city ordinances if they are not going to be enforced unless a complaint is made?
BECKY VENABLE
Winston-Salem
Out of control?
After dodging a bullet in 2008 and the economy still teetering on the Great Recession's event horizon, the tea-party extremists resurrected Reagan's focus on debt. Not to say the debt isn't an issue, but it isn't the only issue. It could easily be managed by rational, intelligent people developing a long-term plan while as soon as possible eliminating obvious waste. It isn't the emergency; the overall economy is still the emergency.
These lunatics are attempting to take over the asylum with a heightened fervor to an antiquated ideology that history shows doesn't work.
If anyone thinks they held our country hostage for anything other than political gain, I ask the question: Would they have done the same if a Republican had been president?
LARRY J. SANDERS
Dobson
An intemperate attack
DON GORDON
Clemmons
Who did our city planners and advocates expect to be downtown late at night? Now that they have spent all the money to coax people to come to the restaurants and bars, did they just now begin to realize that people would be drinking late at night and making noise, which would violate city ordinances ("Sidewalk nightlife sparks debate," Aug. 25)? Were they expecting people to be quietly reading or playing bridge?
Why do we even have city ordinances if they are not going to be enforced unless a complaint is made?
BECKY VENABLE
Winston-Salem
Out of control?
During the 1980 presidential campaign, Ronald Reagan sold the idea that the national debt was "out of control"! The facts were, as a percentage of GNP (32.37 percent), it simply wasn't. It was the lowest it had been since 1946 (121.96 percent). In 1981, Reagan implemented tax cuts, and for the next 18 out of 19 years when supply-siders held office, they increased the debt relative to our ability to pay. The one year they didn't was 2001, George W. Bush's first year, which was likely a carryover from Clinton's previous five years of decreases. Before the supply-siders, both Democrats and Republicans reduced the debt ratio in 27 out of 35 years. Coincidence? I think not!
These lunatics are attempting to take over the asylum with a heightened fervor to an antiquated ideology that history shows doesn't work.
If anyone thinks they held our country hostage for anything other than political gain, I ask the question: Would they have done the same if a Republican had been president?
LARRY J. SANDERS
Dobson
An intemperate attack
The writer of the letter "Being in touch" (Aug. 20) extols open-mindedness as a virtue and then launches an intemperate attack on political conservatives, outrageously ascribing "totalitarian" tactics to them and otherwise employing unsupportable generalizations. As he states it, radical right-wingers were "hired" by corporate interests who then bought their votes. The writer calls the free American citizens who elected them "robotic." How insulting. How condescending. Worse yet, by reminding readers that "right-wingers ...destroyed German democracy" he implicitly likens our own nation's conservative officeholders to the Nazis.
Every charge the writer makes against the political right, to the extent any part of it is true, could be made with equal validity against the political left. His failure to acknowledge that point leaves me to doubt his stated desire for the country's move to the center.
President Obama, when his party held all the power in both political branches, rightly reminded everyone that elections have meaning, and, as he said, "We won." Well, the 2010 elections turned out differently, but partisans such as the "Being in touch" contributor act as though the duly elected members of Congress, if insufficiently moderate, are somehow an alien force outside the legitimate democratic process.
DON GORDON
Clemmons
Good AM, folks!
ReplyDeleteLTE1: We simply don't have enough resources for noise police, plus I'm sure the city wants to walk a fine line, in order to keep the revitalizing downtown revitalizing. As for complaining, I have read that one of the most frequent reasons for calls to law enforcement is barking dogs. I daresay very dog owners have been addressed or cited by roving LEO's listening for noise.
LTE2: Hands on both sides were dirty in the debt discussion. Had the Prez been R, the chances are that the Dems would have "held us hostage."
LTE3: The efforts of Obama's NLRB to pressgang people into unions and to deter a business from operating in a non-union plant lend credence to this LTE writer's comments.
Good am all. Albert Einstein’s insight: “The significant problems that we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them.” But we are sure trying.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I disliked Billy Clinton for his morals, or lack thereof. I was not foolish enough not to have recognized that the country enjoyed economic success during his presidency.
ReplyDeleteThe Democrats, on the other hand, refuse to acknowledge we're on a sinking economic ship with Obama.
Even rats are smart enough to jump off a ship when they know they are about to drown.
"Even rats are smart enough..."
ReplyDeleteAre we implying here that rats are not very smart?
I have known many rats over the years. Comparing them to the Buckman I would say the rats come out on top every time because they don't go around offering opinions on things that they know nothing about.
On the other hand, ask a rat how to get into a rat proof building and you will get a PhD level dissertation, complete with demonstrations of all the many ways.
Good AM, WW and Bucky!
ReplyDeleteA poll conducted for CNN found that 27% of Dem respondents would like to see someone other than President Obama nominated as their party's candidate. 72% said they wanted President Obama back on the ticket, with 1% having no opinion.
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/images/08/29/rel14f.pdf
At yesterday's WH news briefing, Press Secretary Jay Carney was asked if President Obama was certain Hillary would not oppose him in the 2012 primary. Carney replied that Clinton would need to be asked about that.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/08/29/carney_grilled_over_potential_hillary_primary_challenge_youll_have_to_ask_her.html
Dems hoping for a Clinton Restoration might ponder what happened the last time a Dem tried to replace a Prez from his own party. In this case, it was an effort by the Hero of Chappaquiddick to supplant Jimmy Carter. Dems got half of what they wanted, a change of WH occupant. The half they didn't want, however, was Ronald Reagan.
They also need to remember that Hillary has, in the words of the Dem mouthpiece "New York Times," "considerable ethical baggage" (and that was in the "Times'" endorsement of her for Senator). She has also had high polling negatives, would energize votes against. She is abrasive. Obama can be a bit condescending, but is far more likable than the abrasive Clinton (I've seen her in person, not at all likable).
Hello, OT!
ReplyDeleteSquirrels are excellent problem solvers. It's a rare "squirrel-proof" feeder that can defeat them.
Hmm, a primary challenge to Maximus Pontificus? That would be ugly on the order of Chicago 1968...It would make the unhinged rabble in the streets of Madison, Wisconsin the last week look sane.
ReplyDeleteStab...I got pressed into chauffer duty this am without prior planning. Are you working nobly today?
ReplyDeleteHey WW, working feudally might be a better formulation.
ReplyDeleteStab...don't let that collar press too tight.
ReplyDeleteGetting looser by the day.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon folks!
ReplyDeleteLTE 1: It isn't clear whether Ms. Venable is downtown resident, but I would suggest that anyone buying or renting downtown on or near a street with bars and restaurants should not expect something akin to a quiet suburban street. Killing downtown business by having police writing citations left and write to downtown customers for violating a noise ordinance does not serve the city's best interests.
LTE 2: The thought that comes to my mind is Chaney's "Ronald Reagan proved that deficits don't matter". I'm in full agreement that the deficit isn't the issue, rather it's the economy, or to be more specific the job situation. The deficit is the effect, not the cause.
LTE 3:"Every charge the writer makes against the political right...could be made with equal validity against the political left." - that's quite true. All politicians are "hired" by interests, both corporate as well as non-corporate, who pay their campaign bills with the expectation of favorable legislation being passed.
lol, I found our little buckaroo's website
ReplyDeletehttp://buckylarson.com/
My my, Bucky. I didn't realize you are in show biz. Perhaps you and Peewee Herman can get an act going.
ReplyDeletePee Wee would never be caught in public wearing Those shoes.
ReplyDeleteThe photo looks like one of the gay bucks I caught banging his brains out in the public restroom incident a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteGay bucks all look alike to me though.