Old folks strengthen community Re: “Booming boomer population straining ‘burbs,” May 26
I enjoy reading The Examiner — but felt this article was not up to your usual standards.
The article wandered all over the place, pulling in irrelevant info about Social Security, Medicaid — these have no relationship to local budgets. Perhaps teacher/county civil servants pensions do, but no info was given on them.
Here’s an alternate view of the “elderly”: They are the ones who made the localities as prosperous as they are. They continue to pay, through real estate taxes, for school and other services that they don’t use. They support children and grandchildren through dollar and labor contributions. They are the main source of volunteer work in religious and community organizations.
A useful article would explore the contributions made by retired people to the local budget and economy and compare that with the “withdrawals” made from the various pension and medical funds. You might find the community could not exist at its current level without the old folks.
Duane Stone
Reston
Long-term funding solutions don’t hold up
Re: Editorial: “Think tank project shows why Dems won’t offer a budget,” May 25
Having been involved in putting together federal and state government budgets for most of my life, I agree that “Anyone can make specious claims about the federal budget.” What is alarming to me is when financial solutions submitted by elected officials go beyond their term of office. The effects of their funding fixes generally have to be readdressed by future elected members of Congress during each year’s budget cycle. Being that the budget is an annual approval process, long-term funding solutions do not hold up when dealing with a short-term budget process.
Ronald L. Baker
Springfield
Oprah will not be missed
Re: “Finale of ‘Oprah Winfrey’ to air after 25-year run,” May 25
Regarding Oprah Winfrey’s departure from daytime TV: Christians everywhere should be grateful that Oprah Winfrey has finally left daytime TV. The media magnet was successful in leading many souls away from the Christian faith.
Winfrey used her empire as a platform to promote religious pluralism — an ideology that says that all religions are equal even though they contradict one other. She also promoted a form of pantheism whereby God is all and all is God. She also emphasized, repeatedly, that people should carry out their inner longings instead of restraining themselves, even if the act was in violation of absolute truth and was a sin according to the Bible.
Over the years she promoted a false sense of freedom and self-esteem. Oprah was able to appear convincing to many of her viewers because of persuasive ability to mix the language of the Bible with other spiritual traditions to create a believable hodgepodge of personalized faith.
Brian Smith
Newark, N.J.
Costs of coddling the contractors
Re: “Defending defending America: Obama’s NLRB v. Boeing,” May 8
The role of Boeing Co. in the U.S. political debate is not properly understood without considering the massive subsidies that the contractor receives from the U.S. Export-Import Bank.
The mission of the bank is to create and sustain U.S. jobs by financing sales of U.S. exports to international buyers. Because of the agency’s unwavering reluctance to diversify its assets, this goal is not effectively achieved. According to its report, Boeing received $6.4 billion worth of loans and guarantees in 2010, which accounts for more than 44 percent of the bank’s total balance.
Along with all of the federal dollars that the company collects, many states will also continue to finance it by altering their tax climates. It is appropriate to recognize Boeing’s contributions to our military efforts in light of recent events, but it is undeniable that supporting the company for the sake of gaining political leverage is only growing more costly.
Michael Majcen
Arlington
