Pick your restrictions
Re: Pick your governmental restrictions, Aug. 3
Edd Doerr says Milton Friedman was a very strange guy because of his opposition to the draft, coupled with his support for school vouchers. To make his case, Mr. Doerr needs to show us why school vouchers would violate every citizen’s religious freedom, while the GI Bill, which allowed beneficiaries to attend religious schools, did not.
The truth is that neither the GI Bill nor school vouchers violate anyone’s civil rights. In neither case does the government dictate where the student attends school — it’s the GI in one case, and the child’s parents in the other. In either case, it treats secular and religious schools alike. This is in stark contrast to the preferential treatment accorded government schools today.
Milton Friedman understood and appreciated freedom. He was consistent in opposing government restrictions on freedom, whether in the draft, or in education. It’s Edd Doerr who demonstrates inconsistency.
Jon Garber
Leesburg
Why drill? We won’t even use it
Any discussion of drilling oil on Virginia’s continental shelf should include facts about the declining demand for oil. Do we really want to take the risk to our coastal communities for a commodity we are using less and less?
Demand for oil is driven by transportation. Passenger cars and light trucks account for almost two thirds of our transportation oil use. Currently we use 9 million barrels of oil per day. When new standards push average mpg to 50, demand will drop to 3.8 million barrels per day, then to 1.2 million when extreme hybrids come online.
Like it or not oil, extracted off Virginia’s coast will not help Virginia’s drivers. Nor will Virginia oil bring down the price of gasoline at Virginia pumps. Oil prices are global. Offshore oil leases written in 2012 will not produce oil until at least 2017, at least 5 years out.
In 2008 “Drill baby drill” was a rallying cry. This year that cry is so yesterday!
Jane Twitmyer
Ashburn
Contempt
President Obama, by exerting executive privilege, has changed the nation’s welfare program.
Now there is to be no more work qualifications needed to qualify for welfare. The welfare reform program had been a rousing success, enabling many to improve the quality of their lives.
What Obama has done is unconstitutional and should be immediately addressed and over-turned. Have you read any complaint of this blatant disregard of our country’s laws from the government-friendly media?
This is merely just the latest example ( Fast and Furious cover-up, fighting states that want to have an “honest” election, etc.) of this administration’s disregard and contempt for America.
Al Eisner
Silver Spring
