Letters: Let’s work together
November 12, 2012 7:14PM
Updated: December 14, 2012 6:03AM
Now that the election is over, I am hoping that conservatives, Republicans and the right-wing stop their resentment and hatred and try to work within the existing framework of our government.
No, Obama was not perfect, but if you expect him to cure all ills, then he needs support and cooperation. We cannot spend another four years cutting his legs out from under him when he tries to get something accomplished.
I am hoping we can all work together to make this a better country, a united front that serves as an example to other countries. Let’s stop the name-calling, blaming and hate, and make some progress.
Robert Sowinski
Joliet
Deadbeats vote Democrat
Mitt Romney had no chance of winning the presidential election. Republicans run on the premise of smaller government. There will never again be a majority of the U.S. population interested in smaller government and the promotion of small business.
Democrats will always get votes from those citizens dependent on government subsidies, and that includes the unemployed and workers receiving government pensions.
The problem with the Democrats’ policies is that, eventually, there won’t be any jobs available outside of government agencies to continue to subsidize unemployment and retirement benefits.
The government will have to continue to raise taxes on what remains of the private sector working population to support subsidies, which will eventually lead to less jobs and higher unemployment. It is a vicious circle that our country is now living in.
Patrick Bannon
Joliet
Government failed victims
Storm “Sandy,” terrible as it was, had been forecast days ahead. The weather forecasters knew it was coming, just not sure how powerful and where it would exact landfall.
The federal government warned of it and promised prompt emergency response. The response has, in fact, not been prompt, not been adequate and not as promised.
Time was available to properly stage assets and personnel, not in harm’s way, but close enough to quickly react. Response teams could have been positioned south, since the storm traveled south to north — and then follow the storm north with landfall, and then quickly respond.
Within hours after landfall and the eye of the storm out of the area, military police and emergency healthcare workers could have been delivered to the devastated areas, even dropped by helicopters, at first light, food and water. More personnel could have been on sight.
By mid-afternoon of the first day, field hospitals, triage centers, field kitchens, fuel depots and heated shelters could have been up and running. Within 24 hours, pumping equipment, generators and emergency power backups should have been in place.
At this writing, 144 hours later, generators are being airlifted from the west and large centrifugal pumps (some from Joliet) started yesterday on their trek east. By 24-36 hours we should have had construction battalions on the ground clearing roads, restringing electric wires, repairing poles, performing search and rescue and temporarily repairing roads and bridges.
We have the resources to accomplish this. We had the time and notice to prepare, and we had the responsibility and moral obligation to protect our citizens. Again, the government failed its citizens.
Mark Turk
Joliet
Smile for the camera
Untapped source of new revenue: You pay for our own police mug shot. No checks, strictly cash.
This should bring in a bundle.
Raymond F. Stoiber
Joliet
