At library, hold the carpet

Albany’s new library has the potential to be a fine addition to the city. However, we agree with the many letter writers that the choice of exterior colors was poor and the entire building needs to be repainted a light cheery color. The same uproar will undoubtedly hit the fan unless the carpet colors are rapidly rethought and not installed. We do not need grass, wheat, and cows on the floor of this city’s library.

Glenn and Carol Harrison, Albany

Abortion, gays and God

In regards to Kristen Hart’s letter (Mailbag, Nov. 15), “Where a Democrat stands”:

She says it should be legal for a woman to be able to kill her unborn child. Lets call sin, sin. Women’s right to choose is legalized first degree murder, as it is premeditated.

God calls it murder. The Bible is very clear on these things.

The Bible says when a man has sexual relations with another man, it is an abomination. Her thinking is different than Jesus’.

Jesus said let the little children come to me, for of such is the Kingdom of God.

There are two roads; one is straight and narrow and there are few that find it. This road leads to everlasting life. The other is the broad way that leads to destruction. I believe every man and woman has the freedom of choice. What road will they take?

Before the election I had someone call me wanting me to vote for Obama. I told him there are very few Democrats who don’t believe in first degree murder for infants. He didn’t have anymore to say and hung up.

Until Democrats have some morals on killing babies and on homosexuals, I will not vote for any of them. As I would be going against God.

Elmer Gerig, Albany

Don’t be fooled by Internet

Today, Nov. 14, 2008, I received an e-mail from my brother-in-law that had been forwarded multiple times to a long list of recipients, 973 of whom had signed a petition to be forwarded to President Bush at the White House when the number reached 1,000. The petition began as follows:

“SOCIAL SECURITY CHANGES — It is already impossible to live on Social Security alone. If the government gives benefits to ‘illegal’ aliens who have never contributed, where does that leave those of us who have paid into Social Security all our working lives? As stated below, the Senate voted this week (emphasis added) to allow ‘illegal’ aliens access to Social Security benefits. Attached is an opportunity to sign a petition that requires citizenship for eligibility to that social service.”

I immediately went to Snopes.com (http://www.snopes.com/politics/

immigration/socialsecurity.asp) to see what this was all about. Well, it turns out the bill wasn’t about “illegal aliens who have never contributed” receiving Social Security, and this particular amendment wasn’t even passed.

The senators on the list voted to remove the provision from the bill, and most importantly, the vote occurred in May 2006 — 2½ years ago!

What struck me most was that 973 people signed this list, and how many thousands of others signed lists just like this one? Yet, I haven’t seen one e-mail asking me to sign a petition to send to President Bush at my outrage over the financial debacle our country is enmeshed in.

Did you know that the top five hedge fund managers made a combined $12.7 billion in salary in 2007?

This illegal alien Social Security scam and other inflammatory e-mails circulating the Internet are ruses to distract us from the real problems facing our country. Don’t be duped by them.

Karen Dierksen, Lebanon

Spend it only on highways

Regarding your Nov. 12 editorial support for vehicle tax increases, in a future editorial or news story please tell us how much has been spent each over the past two or three years for “building roads, bridges and public transit.” And how this compares to the estimated $500 million that this proposal will generate. And, more to the point, is the governor telling us this newly-generated money will be spent in addition to current spending for the same purpose?

My concern is that the governor and legislature will be able to rationalize, and incorporate in legislation, that the newly-generated money can reduce to some extent what would have otherwise been spent from the existing roads and bridges fund, and use that amount for other noble purposes. Thus we end up with a tax increase without the dollar-for-dollar increase in the infrastructure benefit.

I know this sounds untrusting and cynical, but when it comes to politicians and our tax money, we better not be otherwise or it’ll cost us.

S.E. Paul, Lebanon