Anyone pay my share?

The last verse of “Happy days are here again,” sung by the Democrats, is still echoing. Guess what? Governor Tax and Gouge Me is already planning to raise the gas tax and vehicle registration fees and probably more to come. Thanks to Pelosi, Reid, Dodd, Franks and cronies promising that every American could own a home whether they could pay for it or not.

This liberalism caused the failure of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and other leading institutions. The fallout caused the stock market to crash, and along with it my retirement went south.

Maybe some deep pocket Democrat with a few bucks left after helping buy the White House and Congress will share their wealth and pay my share.

The ripple effect caused by the above group is just starting; get ready for a rough ride.

D.A. Parker, Albany

Asking for prosecution

Now that the election is over, it’s imperative that we don’t forget to prosecute our current president and his administration for crimes committed during their reign. As President-Elect Obama said, he can’t do everything by himself, so let’s help him out by contacting our politicians on a weekly basis and asking them to prosecute George W. Bush and his colleagues for taking this country into an unnecessary invasion and occupation of a sovereign country, for allowing torture, for outing a CIA operative, for — oh my — the list just goes on and on. Justice must be served if this country is to remain a functioning democracy. Do your part to impeach Bush today!

Leonora Rianda, Albany

Post-racial? I doubt it

A recent letter to the editor claimed we are in a post-racial society. I find this hard to believe with the poor funding for schools in black communities, the news stories about police mistreatment of black people (remember Rodney King) and if Barack Obama himself was not black, McCain would have got blown out by even more votes than he did.

Secondly, don’t compare slavery to tax raises. Slavery is people being held against their will and forced to do hard labor by masters too lazy and greedy to do it themselves, getting beaten for trying to leave and many times being underfed and given extremely poor living conditions.

I could be wrong, but I believe the tax raises were just reinstatements of tax cuts by George Bush. Even if this is incorrect, 3 percent for families making more than $250,000 per year is no hardship. I don’t believe taking the tax dollars from those families will then be given to families in poverty. Those tax dollars will be spread out in many ways including paying for the deficit and Iraq, thanks to Bush.

How quickly some forget the ’80s. Reagan gave tax cuts to the wealthy and called it the trickle-down effect. If I remember we were in a recession during that time, just like we are now. Families earning $40,000 and under will more often spend money on necessities, and not 12,000-square-foot houses and $100,000 cars.

A recent article in the Oregonian stated McCain thought middle income was under $5 million a year. Only one tenth of 1 percent earn that much. McCain is out of touch. Obama thought middle income was under $150,000 per year and only 5 percent earn that. Still a little off but far more in touch with reality than McCain. The people voted and chose a black man to fill a big hole dug by white people. By the way, I am white myself.

Michael Felde, Albany

Signs of thanksgiving

To the gentleman who found the cellular telephone in Safeway’s parking lot Sunday evening, Nov. 16, and took time out to call its emergency number and return it: Your act of thoughtfulness was appreciated far more than you can know.

I’m deaf. It’s the reason I didn’t hear the phone clatter to the asphalt. It’s not a toy or mere convenience to me. It’s my only distance communications when I’m away from a computer. It can be my lifeline.

Thank you for notifying the emergency number listed. My emergency contact was with me at the time and said we would come to you, but you took the time to deliver it to us.

The sign I made to you, fingers to my mouth going out palm up towards you, means “Thank you.” I cannot thank you enough, but it means more.

The American Sign Language gesture also means “good,” which is certainly you.

The ASL sign can also say, “You’re welcome,” and you bringing my phone to me was truly a welcome sight.

You were gone before I could sign, “God bless you.” I hope you see these additional words of Thanksgiving for your kindness.

Chase Nottingham, Crabtree

What matters is safety

Everyone’s analyzing why Republicans lost the election, and while there are many reasons, one stands out: The under-35, first-time voters, many of whom will become conservatives as they age, wanted to be part of history by electing the first black president.

Those young voters, of all colors, who decided this election, couldn’t identify with “Grandpa McCain” and instead followed the lead of young, charismatic Obama with his great speeches of hope.

To his credit, Obama ran an almost perfect campaign with help from brilliant advisers, outspending the opposition by at least four to one; and with America’s most unpopular incumbent president, Republican George Bush, two wars raging abroad and financial chaos at home, the timing was perfect for change.

Congratulations and good luck to the Democrats.

We pray they will keep America safe, as President Bush has done since Sept. 11, 2001.

If our enemies succeed in bombing our cities and killing our citizens, nothing else — not the economy, health care or energy conservation — will matter.

Maryland M. Johnson, Lebanon

Four steps toward peace

Four steps to peace, adapted from a reliable source:

1. Don’t worry about anything.

2. Pray about everything.

3. Tell God what you need.

4. Thank Him for what He’s already done.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6,7 NLT and NIV.)

May each who does this “win.”

It’s highly unlikely that lasting interpersonal peace will occur at large until inner-personal peace exists individually.

Consider the Jill Jackson/Sy Miller song lyrics of circa 1955: “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”

Carolyn Krabill, Albany