'Conservative' Congress, not Ryan, ran up 'pork' bill

'Conservative' Congress,not Ryan, ran up 'pork' bill
EDITOR:
In response to the Dec. 3 letter "We're paying for the pork," and speaking as an independent who supported Ann Womer Benjamin against Tim Ryan, it's a bit unreasonable to criticize Congressman Ryan for voting for the recent Omnibus Budget bill that contained the "pork" that is now so widely decried. The criticism should be targeted to the very concept of an Omnibus Budget bill, the result of a failure on the part of Congress to pass a series of separate appropriation bills throughout the course of the session.
The fact is, given the current way that the political processes being managed by the majority in the House of Representatives, the choice is simple: vote for the one large spending bill and approve everything, including things a representative may be opposed to; or vote against the bill, against the "pork" but also against all of the things necessary to provide government programs and services. The latter course inevitably means criticism in the next election as being against the basic needs of the country. In the world of Omnibus Budget Bills, conscience has a cost and it is a cost only the most secure politician can afford to pay.
"Pork spending liberal" is the accusation being made against Congressman Ryan, but most Republicans made the same vote, so what does that make them? What we should decry is how an irresponsible Congressional leadership is mismanaging the budgetary process. With the way things are going in Washington and the long-term debt burden our descendants will face, acting like a "spend-no-more-than-you-tax-Liberal" might be a lot better choice than being a "borrow-and-spend conservative."
But the real solution is for Congress to pass multiple spending bills in a timely way, after free and open debate where both parties have an opportunity to voice their support and opposition. Under the format, the "pork" would vanish under public scrutiny as being the waste of resources that it is, and no congressperson would be forced to hold their nose when they vote to spend our tax dollars.
J. DAVID SABINE
Poland
At some nursing homes, the treatment and food are fine
EDITOR:
This is in regard to a Nov. 30 letter on stating how bad the food was in some of the local nursing homes. Our mothers are in Shepherd of The Valley, Boardman. Not only is there excellent care, encouragement and therapy, but the food is delicious. They have a variety with generous portions.
Everyday there is homemade soup, such as wedding soup, pasta fagioli and chicken dumpling. Some of the entrees are chicken marsala, chicken piccata, ravioli ala vodka and beef stroganoff. Desserts are lemon meringue pie, pumpkin pie, chocolate chiffon pie, graham cracker cream squares, to name a few. If you do not care for the regular entree you may request alternatives. Of course, some of the people are on special diets; therefore, food must be chopped or pureed.
Three of us had Thanksgiving dinner there with our mothers, and ate in the private dining room. We were served the traditional Thanksgiving meal and the food and ambiance were excellent. So, for great care, encouragement, therapy and food come to Shepherd of The Valley, Boardman. Bon apetit.
MARY LOU SOCCORSY, JUDY SASRAN, JANE PORTER and DEE SERRA
Boardman
Newscast reports the toll
EDITOR:
A recent TV newscast reported that almost 1,300 young U.S. military have been killed in Iraq. Another 15,000 have been wounded, some of whom will spend their lives with artificial limbs and a wide variety of other debilitating injuries. Some will spend a lifetime in a veterans hospital.
For what? Any one of these was one too many.
JOHN RENCH
Canfield