Winston-Salem Journal LTE MO 11/05/12

Fracking won’t help us

The editorial “Fracking commission looks stacked, unfair” (Oct. 5) notes how the fracking bill was forced down our throats by industry hacks in our legislature and the new N.C. Mining and Energy Commission is stacked with sycophants who have allegiance only to money, not to our natural resources or our residents and concludes that the commission is nothing more than a sham.

It takes between one and eight million gallons of water to fracture a well. The water remaining after the procedure is a contaminated waste. The residents are left to pick up the tab for the destruction of the roads caused by trucks that haul this water and the chemicals that it’s infused with. When earthquakes happen, the energy companies don’t pay for that, either. Citizens in fracked states agree that they don’t want it, but they can’t fight the companies and the politicians.

The polluters claim that this is the way to energy independence. But even in the states that have been fracking for 30 years, they pay just as much to heat their homes as we do. Gas is a global market, and what is extracted will be sold to the highest bidder, wherever that is.

The only beneficiaries of fracking are the barons of fossil fuel and the corrupt politicians who greedily grab the campaign contributions that are showered on them. Every politician who voted to expose us to the evils of these energy companies should be voted out of office. They have betrayed us.

DEBRA DEMSKE

Winston-Salem

Sharing is the byword

At the period of relevant judgment, the United States has always been better off with Democrats in office.

The establishment of the nation begins with “we” in word, and embellishments throughout the Preamble. The Union, common defense, general welfare, liberty for ourselves and our posterity are all “we.”

From Franklin D. Roosevelt through Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, that “we” has meant improved income, education, health, housing and infrastructure for the nation. Republicans such as Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower, who behaved like Democrats, practiced that “we” also.

The Democrats are for inclusion of all of us in a common purpose for the general welfare. Republicans are for the exclusion of many of us, with privilege for the few of us and special interests. The Democrats support the disadvantaged with programs for employment, education and human services. Republicans do nothing for anybody, except by promoting tax credits, subsidies and evasion for their associates and families.

The economy has bounced up with Democrats and bogged down with Republicans. Sharing has been the byword for all religions and spreading the wealth has helped all nations and peoples prosper.

The Democrats want to water the garden so all plants will thrive. The policies of Republicans result in dried-up melon patches.

MARCIALITO CAM

Winston-Salem

Time for a change

It’s time for a change in the 5th District. We need a representative who is willing to work with people on both sides of the aisle. We need a representative who will work for the issues that are important to us in North Carolina: jobs that provide a decent standard of living, affordable health care and a clean and healthy environment for our children and grandchildren.

Please join me in voting for the candidate who will work for us: Elisabeth Motsinger for U.S. House of Representatives, District 5.

PATRICIA EISENACH

Winston-Salem

Doesn’t care about jobs

I will not vote for President Obama in the next election. Shortly after his inauguration in 2009, he cancelled an experimental and very successful school-voucher program for Washington D.C. that permitted many D.C. children to attend private institutions and escape the reputably worst school system in America. Many of these children went to the same private school at which the president’s children were enrolled.

Facing protests, the president had the program altered to allow the children already enrolled to continue until they graduated or were promoted past the highest grade level of the school. However, no new students were to be given vouchers. I thought the president’s actions very callous and made me wonder what his vision of “hope and change” looked like.

Then there was the president’s 2010 “summer of recovery.” Here the president placed a moratorium on Gulf of Mexico oil drilling (due to PB oil spill), which further distressed economic activity all along the gulf and causing the loss of an estimated 23,000 jobs. The moratorium lasted until October 2010, but the damage was done.

Another opportunity to provide thousands of jobs was lost when a decision about the construction of the Keystone pipeline was delayed until after the election.

I really don’t think he cares about jobs or energy independence despite his speeches. Doesn’t he know there are over 300 million vehicles on U.S. roads and they run on gasoline and last 20 years?

THOMAS SNELL

Winston-Salem

Unnecessary war

I see now that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to drum up support for war with Iran. Apparently he wants America to pay the price for this one, as we always have.

We don't need another unnecessary war, which our president is trying to avoid. We don't need the strain on our economy and our military.

WILLIAM SAMS

King

I left out yesterday's Correspondence of the Week.  Here it is:

Our Neighbors

We were so lucky to have missed the brunt of Superstorm Sandy. Just the edge of it was enough for me.

In its wake, we’re left to think about those who suffered, and will continue to suffer, because of it. How can we help but care about them?

They say that this sort of disaster brings out the best in people. I certainly hope so. In the middle of a rancorous political season, with accusations of callousness, to say the least, flying all around, we’ve got to remember that we all have a basic humanity, a capacity for compassion, an ability to empathize, that transcends politics, religion and other divisive categories. We’re all on this planet together, and it’s unlikely that any of us will get through life without forming attachments, friendships, loving relationships. Anyone who does is missing out on the best part of life.

As best as we can, I hope we’ll all extend that positive attribute to our neighbors in the Northeast. They’re going to need our help.

It could have been us.

RONNIE MILLER

Winston-Salem