2009.03.08
Discuss Sunday's local commentary
Food banks can't fix the economy
Mona Moore
Moore is an assistant professor of English at Virginia Western Community College.
I respectfully disagree with my colleague Linda Whitlock about the economy, fear and President Obama, ("Letting go of fear," Feb. 12 column). The suggestion that church food banks can help fix the economy is a lovely, sweet idea that should certainly be pursued, but it is not a realistic plan. We should be afraid, be very afraid. (By the way, the former administration was effectively re-elected in 2004 on a platform of fear.) But even though I am just an English teacher, I can see that even those of us fortunate enough to have jobs are watching our savings, investments and retirement funds melting before our eyes. And nothing seems to be getting better.
Read today's letters to the editor.
NRV Current
The law was clear in big-box case
By David C. Wood
Wood is a veterinarian in Draper.
In his arguments before the Blacksburg Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) and Judge Bobby Turk, town consulting attorney Greg Haley repeatedly summarized this essential concept in Virginia land use law: "The reward for specificity is vested rights."
His explanation was easy to follow: if you commit to something specific and get permission to proceed, a governmental body cannot change its mind and forbid you to do it. But you have to commit to something specific.
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Mona Moore, I love you! Thanks for expressing what many of us are feeling. More and more people are catching on that the 'hope he fails' mantra is just more of the same fear that worked so well for so long that we are no longer falling for. So now the 'pull back' in the stock market, the 'fear for the long term' plans being discussed should just push us sheep over the edge...only you know what, it has instead stiffened our spine and made us pull on those 'boot straps' to help President Obama be a success because he wants us all (not just the wealthy power brokers)to succeed if we try, and we are trying.
Comment by Sandi Saunders — March 8, 2009 @ 5:20 pm
Mona Moore sounds like just another head-in-the-sand liberal who, realizing Obama has no answers, is content to play the blame game for the sake of political expediency. In one fell swoop she seeks to trivialize legitimate national security concerns and declare it a sin to be successful, never once acknowledging the true origin of the current economic mess. So much for actual governance and trying to deal with issues. I guess it's never too early to start campaigning for the mid-terms.
Comment by C Ramsey — March 9, 2009 @ 7:14 am
C Ramsey,
Your penchant for jumping to extreme characterizations of others is way off base. "Declare it a sin to be successful" Your point about its never too early to start campaigning for the mid-terms is at the whole basis of what folks like Limbaugh are doing so don't put that solely on what Mona has said. If you lament that people aren't dealing with the issues, then I would say the high road would be to deal with the issues yourself.
Comment by Joe (ntp) Merola — March 9, 2009 @ 8:16 am
I wonder if one of the grass-roots reach out program which Ms Moore refers to is the "tattoo removal" part of the stimulus plan that helps former gang members go out and get real jobs by making their appearance seem more trustworthy?
It was only into the second sentence that we had to read to tell the purpose of this hit-piece...
"The suggestion that church food banks can help fix the economy is a lovely, sweet idea that should certainly be pursued, but it is not a realistic plan."
Ok, so its an idea that is, *batts eyelashes*, lovely and sweet, but not a realistic plan. Oh, but we should DEFINITELY pursue it ?!?
The intentions of this article were exposed just that quick.
I read the rest, but unfortunately kept getting distracted by how many times the words "And" and "But" were used to lead off sentences...
hmmm, what is the author's occupation again????
Comment by Marked Man (Mark) — March 9, 2009 @ 9:44 am
Regarding the $200,000 for a crime prevention program that includes helping reformed gang members remove gang ID tattoos: "Harold Gold, a probation officer with a local specialized gang unit. “It can get the kids jobs — if you have gang tattoos, you can’t get a job,” Gold said. “This program is one of the best life-saving and life-changing programs out here. I am about as right wing a conservative as you would ever find.”
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/political-media/conservatives-hit-dems-over-tattoo-removal-pork-but-its-an-anti-crime-program/
Shall I list the right-wing pork in the spending bill?
Comment by Sandi Saunders — March 9, 2009 @ 12:05 pm
Here little piggy..... http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2009/03/plenty-of-bipartisan-pork-in-spending-bill/
"Six Republicans are among the top 10 biggest Senate earmarkers based on total dollar value, according to a database released Monday by Taxpayers for Common Sense. Topping the list of all senators was Thad Cochran, R-Miss., who by himself and with other lawmakers earmarked nearly $471 million worth of spending. Kansas GOP Sens. Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts ranked 62nd and 63rd, with earmarks worth $47.7 million and $46.7 million, respectively"
Here is the database to check:
http://www.taxpayer.net/resources.php?category=&type=Project&proj_id=2049&action=Headlines%20By%20TCS
Comment by Sandi Saunders — March 9, 2009 @ 12:10 pm
Tat removal. Now there's something that is worthwhile. Aunt Mary can just skip her presciption this month to pay for something that important.
Comment by Henry — March 9, 2009 @ 12:16 pm
Actually, I think Mona makes good points. In response to Marked #4, I can assume that the point Mona meant to make is that food banks are worth while programs that do help fill in gaps for the less fortunate but is not the answer to economic woes.
And C, I'm surprised at your response...Mona never declared it a sin to be successful she never even hinted at that. She did question what happened to all the bailout money that was given to the bank from Bush...and why shouldn't we question that? Also C, just how did she "seek to trivialize legitimate national security"?
Comment by HCS — March 9, 2009 @ 12:37 pm
Ah well, if removing a tattoo makes you a reformed gang member, and this guy is in favor of it and claims to be a right-wing conservative, then well I guess it must be a difference maker.
In fact, it may not be even be as unimaginable as say, people buying a few extra groceries and giving them to people who cannot afford food due to loss of income or other hardships huh?
Gosh I cant believe that helping gang members get rid of tattoos would be a 'realistic plan' compared to helping less fortunate people in your own community.
Comment by Marked Man (Mark) — March 9, 2009 @ 12:40 pm
So HCS, did you assume that the point that Ms. Whitlock was making was that helping less fortunate in the community is THE answer to all our economic woes??
What was the author's occupation again?
Comment by Marked Man (Mark) — March 9, 2009 @ 12:43 pm
I don't recall Mona suggesting that tattoo removal should replace other programs...Marked brought this one up and I believe Sandi was just enlightening us that it wasn't simply so that some woman could go get the cute little butterfly removed from her lower back from when she was 18.
Comment by HCS — March 9, 2009 @ 12:45 pm
Sandi, the link you referenced, (which i assume is some guy's blog), mentions Harold Gold, "a probation officer with a local specialized gang unit." Is that local to Washington D.C., L.A., Miami, or where?
I was curious if I started quoting blogs that in turn quoted mysterious people if that would pass as 'reliable' link to reference as well?
Comment by Marked Man (Mark) — March 9, 2009 @ 12:53 pm
LMBO - Hey, nevermind, I found where Greg Sargent originally picked up his writer's pen at...
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/sargent/
haha, too funny
Comment by Marked Man (Mark) — March 9, 2009 @ 1:00 pm
No Marked I didn't assume that it was THE answer...but I wasn't pointlessly bashing Mona.
Comment by HCS — March 9, 2009 @ 1:06 pm
Marked Man #12: The link I referenced said he was talking about the San Fernando Valley area. I would infer that Mr. Gold works in the area. As to the validity of that particular blog, I would suggest that there are many bloggers with good information to be had. You may discount one merely because you do not accept the information. That is your choice. If you have evidence of a lie posted on TPM, please do share that information. If you have evidence of any lie on anything I reference, please offer the information. Reliability, like credibility is an 'eye of the beholder issue'. You have offered charges that the people who run "Snopes.com" are atheists on several occasions without credible facts or real evidence, so the "LOL, haha, too funny" also cuts both ways for cited material here. Unless I missed something in the RT blog etiquette school, I am under no obligation to prove my sources are reliable to anyone but me. I assume intelligent people can make up their own minds about whatever is presented here.
Comment by Sandi Saunders — March 9, 2009 @ 3:33 pm
Sandi - I have provided the link to the dvd itself that the snopes founders provided 'commentary' on and have seen it for myself. Im sorry you missed it.
Oh, and I have provided links before about TPM being exposed for publishing an untruth (Dan even ripped me on it, stating that it really wasnt TPM's fault because it was basically a letter to the editor that got posted and the editor didnt verify the facts) when TPM posted pictures that someone sent in claiming that Bristol Palin was running around drinking while pregnant. Ooops, too bad it turns out that it wasnt her in the pics however. Sorry you missed that one too.
If need be I can create a folder in my favorites titled "Liberal_Denial_Links" and start saving them all for you?
Comment by Marked Man (Mark) — March 9, 2009 @ 9:41 pm