Giving $350 million to tsunami relief is excessive

Giving $350 million to tsunami relief is excessive
EDITOR:
I'm responding to a recent article, "U.S. increases relief tenfold."
It's a terrible thing that the tsunami took as of this writing 121,000 lives, but the United States giving them $350 million is also a little much considering we have countless American citizens in this country on fixed incomes, little or no health care, and the less fortunate needing the basic essentials to survive from day to day.
Somewhere along the line the politicians need to realize that the people voting them into office are also some of the same people who need these essentials and are hoping for these conditions to change.
Other countries look to us for financial assistance in time of crisis, but our government chooses not to take care of the financial problems within our own nation. So, how should this be right and justified when we give other countries bundles of money when we ourselves as a whole are in debt? In my opinion it's not. Some people might think it's a great thing that we're doing this and giving the Southeastern Asian countries so much money. Don't get me wrong, I think it's good that we're helping them out, but I don't think giving them $350 million is the right thing to do.
I don't know what the dollar amount should be, but when we're fighting a war and losing so many soldiers and loved ones, the money should be used for that. Help the victims that were hit by the tsunami, but don't give them more money just because other countries pledged more.
JILL ADAMS
North Jackson
Choose the park, not the club
EDITOR:
It appears that the superintendent of Girard schools and the members of the board of education have tunnel vision or blinders on when it comes to the location of the new high school.
The Mahoning Country Club is a business. Do we need to close another business in this town? Mahoning pays property taxes. It's employees pay city taxes. Revenue gone forever. What does Liberty Park pay in taxes? Nothing! Will the Parks be cheaper to purchase than Mahoning? You bet.
What will the community and the city gain by choosing the park? A business that stays and prospers in our city.
BILL CARNEY
Girard
Social Security isn't perfect, but it's not in crisis either
EDITOR:
We are being told to run, hide, and pull the covers over our heads again. No, the terror alert has not been raised to hot pink. This time it is Social Security.
We will be told about its imminent collapse, and we only have one plan to save it. Social Security will remain solvent until about 2042, if we do nothing.
Am I saying Social Security is perfect? No.
Am I saying we should do nothing? No.
There are many ideas from different groups which should be looked at. Crunch the numbers and use the plan that would be the best.
A small group of people will make lots of money on privatizing Social Security. None of these people will have to live on Social Security as their main source of retirement. They have already raised up to $100 million to spend on ads to scare the public.
Don't take their word for it.
Don't take my word for it.
Look into it, yourself. Write your congressperson and tell them you want them to do what is best for everybody.
WILLARD RUSSELL
East Liverpool