They took our money (11/06/2008)

To the editor:

For months we've had a barrage of outpourings from Sens. Obama and McCain about the disastrous state of the U.S. economy and their plans to correct the situation.

Hasn't it occurred to anyone these two are in the same league as offering whiskey to a drunk as a cure for alcholism? Throughout the campaign, both senators have been drawing their $169,300 annual salary in spite of the fact they have both been off the job for many months.

I attempted to e-mail each to find out what charitable organization(s) they were donating their salaries to while campaigning full-time for the presidency. There has been no response. All I accomplished was revealing just how naïve this U.S. taxpayer really is.

Roy L. Leverich

Portland

Why?

To the editor:

I read in the "Letter to the Editor" column about people getting campaign mailings that state this or that. The controversies go on and on. I am thinking to myself, "Where do I go to sign up to get even one of those campaign mailings?" That is the dilemma, isn't it? 

To date, since the election campaigns started with Hilary Clinton, I have yet to receive one of those campaign mailings. My mom, who lives just across the alley from my house, has gotten a bevy of them. She talks about the amount of trees killed to produce such mass mailings. And yet, I have gotten none. It's kind of funny now that I think of it. Not that I am really complaining mind you.

If you have sat in front of the TV for the last two years, an ad for one candidate or another would have popped up in front of you. If you are like me, I am ready to say, "Let's get it over with already!"  I have gone as far as to start flipping the channels in order to see another commercial not politically motivated.

I bet it cost a pretty penny or two to air this half-hour advertisement by Barack Obama last Wednesday night. I am thinking, "Mr. Obama, instead of making a half-hour advertisement, why don't you spread that wealth around my way? The good Lord knows that I could use it and besides, I have already made up my mind and you aren't going to change it for me anyway." 

Back to my thoughts on not getting any of those campaign mailings. I wonder where they are, the ones addressed to me. Or was I somehow put on a naughty list so that I was never ever going to get junk mail ever again? Was it something I said?  I know that it isn't the postal service because those hardworking folks wouldn't deny me my right to mailings. Besides, I believe that it is against the law to tamper with the postal mail and no self respecting mail(person) would ever dare go against the Federal Government. You could go to jail for things like that.

I know that I am still a registered voter because I have checked and verified myself as being on the list of voters. I am not a convicted felon, or a bad man that is not allowed to vote. If you don't believe me, perhaps you would like to meet me at the county clerk's office so that I can prove to you that I am not such a bad person.

Now, don't get me wrong, I do make mistakes. That is one of the two things I tell my students on the first day of computer class. The other thing is that I don't know it all. The latter is sometimes hard for me to admit, but I would rather help people solve the problem than fix it for them and take off. I am, for the most part, questioning my existence. Are the two main parties so sure that I am going to vote for their candidate that they feel that they don't need to bother me with the issues?  It's seems like Indiana for the last 20 or 30 years just didn't count.... That is, until this year. The candidates are visiting us, encouraging everyone to vote for them. Fingers pointing in one direction while other fingers are pointing back the other way.

Funny thing I noticed was the fact that the candidates weren't telling me much of what they were going to do for me and my country. They are more interested in focusing in on what he or she did or didn't do in the past. What I want to know today is, what are you going to do for me?  Am I not part of the American population?  Don't I count for anything anymore? 

Back in the old days the promises were a chicken in every pot or a car in every garage or something to that effect. Now it's finger pointing and blaming the other guy/girl, man/woman.

Well, I just have one thing to say to you that asked for my vote. That is, "Who made the decision to exclude me from receiving campaign mailings anyway?" 

Just a thought or two from the desk of a very patient person. 

Patrick Smith

Portland[[In-content Ad]]