Marion Barry has been good for Ward 8 residents Re: “Barry should abandon his succession plan,” From Readers, Dec 2
As a resident of Ward 8 for more than 50 years, it just burns me up when outsiders try to weigh in on the travails of Marion Barry. Many of us continued to re-elect Barry to office preciselybecause so many outsidersdidn’t want us to.
It continues to be a slap in the face of predominantly black Southeast residents when whites from Georgetown, let alone some Columbia, Md.interloper who probably benefits from city services and leaves nothing here in return, deign to comment on who should be representing us on the city council.
People from other wards have lambasted us for returning Barry to the council after hispublic trials and failures.But as mayor, Barry was key in instituting the Housing Purchasing Assistance Program, whereby long-term residents were offered the right of first refusal when landlords decided to capitalize on the city’s re-emergence as a desirous place to live.
A host of whites, gays and some blacksstill continue to benefit from programs Barry started as mayor. His failings were personal, and frowned upon by most everyone, but this paternalism smacks of the time when the “leader” of a group of slaves was appointed by “massa.”
Ronald R. Hanna
Washington
Politicians fear balanced-budget amendment
Re: “Balanced budget amendment delusion,” Nov. 24
The real “delusions” in Steve Chapman’s op-ed are the author’s own arguments. He rightly critiques repeated failures of our leaders to “get serious about the deficit even when they face a stark obligation,” yet believes a constitutional balanced-budget rule would fare no better. If so, why have a Constitution and Bill of Rights at all?
An amendment would focus (not “distract”) policymakers on more responsible budgeting and, in the words of former Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Holtz-Eakin, “give Congress a way to say no” to special interests.
Chapman raises several stale and contradictory objections. If a balanced-budget amendment could be easily evadable by crafty politicians, why haven’t they lined up to pass one and claim credit for a gimmick they know they can undermine? Because they know that while not perfect, it would check their fiscal excesses and hold them more directly accountable to the electorate.
Thomas Jefferson himself wrote about the need for “an additional article” to the Constitution, “taking from the federal government the power of borrowing.” Here’s hoping Chapman doesn’t consider one of our Constitution’s architects “delusional” too.
Pete Sepp
Executive vice president,
National Taxpayers Union
Occupy’s anti-Semitism is showing
I was aware of the signs and chants in some of the “Occupy X” sites, but was not prepared for the 11 x 17 leaflet I was handed a few days ago, which was covered with Jewish-hate articles and quotes, ranging from Benjamin Franklin’s false prophesy to “poison flu shots” from Israel.
I’ve lived in this country since 1967 and never saw signs of anti-Semitism until this year.I am not Jewish, but I’ve always felt admiration and respect for Israel and for the Jewish people.
What’s happening is unacceptable and demeaning to all of us as rational individuals and as Americans.
Marta S. Plaza
Arlington
