Pete Longfellow
Editor;s note: The following represent the views of Mr. Longfellow and in no way represent the views of the Breathitt Co. Voice. They are printed here to present different views and opinions in accordance with our policies
Breathitt County has several new officials who were sworn in on January 1, 2007. As you know, many promises were made during the recent campaign. One commissioner said he would build community centers throughout his district. The newly elected commissioners and Judge indicated that all roads would be paved and repaired. They will make sure many new jobs are available to people who desire to work. Law enforcement indicated that much would be done to eradicate our current drug problem.
Why do we have so many under prepared students in this area? Our government at all levels spends a lot of money on education and we continue to fall farther and farther behind the rest of the nation. Many of our recent high school graduates have to take remedial courses in college. These same students in most cases have a good grade point average in high school.
The recent election was interesting in terms of final outcomes. I was surprised that the Democratic Party actually gained control of both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. From my perspective, it was more a reflection of Republican failure rather than a perceived Democratic potential for success. George Bush is officially a lame duck and he will have very little influence for the next two years. Mr. Bush has been a failure in almost every area. He and Condoleeza Rice have been completely inept in foreign affairs. Dick Cheney is one of the most inflexible and ineffective Vice-Presidents ever elected in this country. His relationship with Halliburton is a disgrace. His hawkish attitude is embarrassing when one thinks about his deferments during the Vietnam War. The only thing Mr. Cheney ever shot besides a duck was one of his best friends. Public schools are in crisis because of a high dropout rate. The “No Child Left Behind” is laughable and ineffective. The Congress and our current President have done very little to deal with illegal immigration.
The Democrats have an unenviable task in regard to governing this country. Hopefully the leadership of the party will work in a bipartisan way to deal with our problems. The economy is doing well for a lot of people. Democrats need to make sure this trend continues while passing legislation that increases the minimum wage. The war in Iraq must be dealt with in a constructive way that benefits all involved in the war. Individual rights are important and we must regain the confidence of the American people in regard to individual rights.
Local elections brought some surprises. We have a new County Judge and three new Commissioners. The County Judge elect is young and inexperienced. The new Commissioners should look at the election results as a direct reflection of the budget. Our past Commissioners refused to deal with the salary issue. They wanted to and did collect full-time pay and benefits for part-time work. It is a shame for all involved when government collects an occupational tax from individuals who struggle to get by on minimum wage while at the same time collecting full pay and benefits for a part-time job. Our past Magistrates and Commissioners should be embarrassed and ashamed of their refusal to deal with this issue. Our new Commissioners should either reduce their pay or work full-time as Commissioners.
City government did not really change. One new Council Member was elected and he will be working with the same Mayor. Evidently the people are satisfied with the status quo or did not like the challengers. Hopefully we can get all our streets repaired and increase police and fire protection in the city of Jackson. The one thing about government is that one can never do enough and most people complain about their tax dollars being wasted by government officials. I wish much success to our local and national politicians. I surely do not envy them as they strive to please the public.
Monday, October 23rd, 2006
One has to wonder what our so called conservative Republicans will do to offset the scandal involving Mark Foley. After all, the current Republican majority has spent the last twelve years courting the religious right and running their campaigns based on family values. Unfortunately, for them, the public is starting to see a different picture. We have a Republican controlled government that has run up a huge federal deficient because of foolish and out of control spending. Our current President has the country in a political war based on non-existent weapons of mass destruction. The country is now faced with real threats from Iran and possibly North Korea.
The dictionary defines a hypocrite as a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings. It seems to me that we have an unusual number of individuals who fit this definition. Over the past several weeks I have heard drug abusers preach about the evils of drugs. These same people have pushed for drug screenings in local schools. I have been exposed to educators who pontificate about individual rights. These same educators whine when someone disagrees with their position. Every week we have the opportunity to hear ministers preach the conservative political agenda all the while professing love for all men. The former mayor of Atlanta, Andrew Young, who professes to be a civil rights activist made vile comments about Jewish business owners. Mel Gibson, who has made millions as an actor, got drunk and made vile comments about the Jewish community.
Our esteemed President has announced that the United States has been following the rules of the Geneva Convention which have been in place since they were adopted in 1864 in Geneva Switzerland. Of course he would like to make some changes so that we can do a more effective job dealing with suspected terrorists. The prisoners who have been tortured at Abu Ghraib prison and Guantanamo Bay probably suspect that changes may have already been implemented by Mr. Bush. Many human rights activists have called Guantanamo the “gulag of our times”.
In a recent letter to the editor, Mr. Fred Landrum took a more optimistic view of our recent local election. He made a good point in regard to our attitudes and what we need to do to compete in a global economy. It was refreshing to read Mr. Landrum’s letter and I wish more people would join the discussion. Unfortunately, many of our local leaders are focused on the past and trying to secure low paying factory jobs.
A number of articles including several in this publication have been written regarding the expulsion of the gay student at the University of the Cumberlands. The same tired argument is used by the right wing activists.
