Opinion: Mail call: You read our stuff, open fire
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It’s been a while since we hit the mailbag. Some recent correspondence from you, the fabulous little people:
If you go weak in the knees anytime somebody uses the magic words ‘Looney Left,’ you’ll love Delta Max president Robert Swanson’s salty rejoinder to ‘Boys, girls and 9/11,’ my take on Susan Faludi’s new book:
Why do some pundits yearn to seek ‘meaning’ in an event beyond the obvious?The USA was attacked by religious extremists who want to bring our country and culture down, nothing more nor less.The most shocked among us were those to whom the idea of another culture hating ours simply because of who we are, goes against all of their idiotic Pollyanna platitudes that ‘...we are all the same...!’In other words, the Multi-culturist, Citizen of Planet Earth, Looney lefties. Robert SwansonPresidentDelta Max Newport Beach
R. Stephen White’s Blowback ‘Nukes still work when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow’ gets another reader’s reactor core leaking:
To the Editors: Regarding R. Stephen White’s opinion, Nukes still work when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow, the point is not if renewable energy is intermittant. Obviously, it is. The point is that renewable energy is desirable and, arguably, nuclear energy isn’t. In fact, one produces horribly toxic byproducts and the other doesn’t. One mankind could use forever with few consequences, the other leaves perpetual poison. One is, potentially, available to everyone, the other is extremely expensive and, potentially, deadly. Take your pick.David Sears
Robert Greene writes about the ‘Return of the Westside lefty’ and everybody’s favorite nun in the Federal Reserve says Amen:
It is refreshing and consoling to read Robert Greene’s cogent and concise analysis of the ‘pragmatic-left development of Los Angeles on the part of builders and politicians pursuing complementary interest’ This may be the beginning of real down to earth housing. Thank you! Sister Diane Donoghue
Why will we miss the opinion stylings of Ronald Brownstein? Because he got people talking! In response to Brownstein’s ‘Republicans run right,’ one reader appeals to a higher authority:
Enjoyed your article.However, you are, once again, neglecting the importance of Family and Moral Values. Conservatives have the formula for real peace in the world--’Listen to, and obey, the Word of God.’The Word of God emphasizes strong family and moral values--conservative values. Muslims, Christians, and Jews all believe in one God, the same ONE AND ONLY GOD; and all try to live up to these family and moral values. Many fail!When they fail, they sin; and the wages of sin is death!They fail when they tolerate, promote or commit the deadly, and equally abhorrent, sins of Abortion, Homosexuality, Euthanasia, and cold-blooded murder of innocents by means of terrorism. Unless we can all agree to stop all of these violent and atrocious sins, there will never be peace in the world.This is why all Americans must, and will, make Family and Moral Values the most important issue in the Presidential Race of 2008. Tom Balish
Another reader finds it is possible to be less popular than President Bush:
In response to Ronald Brownstein’s column, ‘Republicans Run Right,’ but one reason this has been the case is that the Democratic Congress actually polls double-digits below President Bush in terms of job approval. I’m not sure why this gets less media attention. You can point to the unpopularity of Bush, but it’s not just him. The Democrats have a whole nation angry at them, as well. Todd Rutherford
One reader says straying from small government principles may not be as costly as advertised:
I just read your column about the GOP field moving to the right in the race for the nomination and agree for the most part. You are absolutely correct that the consensus GOP view of 2006 is that they lost because of a) scandal and b) straying from ‘small government’ principles. However, I think this view is fundamentally flawed. I might be able to buy the idea that some hardcore base Republicans were disenchanted with run away spending and stayed home on election day, giving Dems an edge in tight races, but that is only part of the picture. What I havent heard any Republicans acknowledge, and don’t expect to, is that while big spending may have bummed out the AEI/club for growth types, it allowed Republicans to win elections during the preceding decade. The entitlement spending in Bush’s first term neutralized the idea of the GOP as heartless toward seniors, the dept of homeland security was a winner with moderates/indies in the wake of 911, and although the war has become very unpopular lately it is inconceivable that the party who sold and supported the war could have not paid for it and survived politically. When you add the fact that Bush pushed through enormous tax cuts the political necessity to spend on services/initiatives that appeal to centrist/swing types is even clearer. If in 2002 or 2004 the GOP had allowed Democrats to credibly blame those tax cuts for a lack of a DHS or the disappearance of popular entitlement programs, by 2006 they would not have had a majority to lose. There is a lot of time to go before the nominees are set, let alone the election, but watching the two fields right now I think the Republicans are in trouble. Hearing Rudy, Romney, and Thompson toss out generic conservative sound bites you get the feeling they are still operating in a political climate most of the nation moved out of 5 years ago. -Andre Medrano
From the Gopher State, wonders why the shrill and dogmatic style is always in:
Mr. Brownstein, I am a regular reader of your columns and I enjoyed your excellent column of September 14, ‘Republicans run right.’ As I read the column, I found myself thinking, ‘Why are the republican candidates choosing to sound ‘shrill and dogmatic’ in their speeches and discussions?’ I was hoping you would provide that answer in your column, but alas, you did not. Why do you think the republican candidates have chosen this approach for their campaigns? Thank you, Thad SchifskyPlymouth, MN
Maintain and even keel, says a reader from the Buckeye State, the Democrats will get their chance to blow their chance:
To the Editors: Ron Brownstein’s essay is a good summary of the problems facing the GOP. The fact is that if the electorate is really moving ‘left’ - a questionable assumption - there’s not much the Republicans can do. The period from the 1930s to the 1970s, when ‘moderate Republicanism’ was at its strongest, was also the period of strongest Democratic control of electoral politics. When the GOP ran more strongly on conservative themes, especially in 1980 and in 1994, they ended the Democratic hegemony over American politics. By contrast, the Democrats in 2006 basically ran on the Republican record of personal scandals. It may be that the seemingly ‘leftward’ tilt of American politics is a transient phenomenon, caused by the behavior of some Republican politicians (and the eagerness of journalists to make such behavior a metaphor for all conservatives), by the Iraq war, by Bush’s maladroit behavior wearing thin in the dog days of his administration. A dose of Democratic governance, including the party’s race/gender zealotry, its Martha’s Vineyard ideas of environmentalism for the masses, and its potentially explosive liberalism on illegal immigration, has great potential for reminding voters of what they don’t like about the Democratic Party. Mark Richard Columbus, Ohio
Matt Welch’s ‘Iraq forever’ gets a Go-Ron-Paul:
In response to Mr. Welch’s article, Iraq forever, The powerful logic of constant interventionism, I would like to say that it is Well-written and makes strong points but fails to mention the position of Ron Paul, which has been consistently against the Iraq War since its inception and which is reverberating across the nation, mainly through the Republican political debates and the internet. It would serve the readers well for Mr. Welch to have pointed out Dr. Paul’s position on the Iraq war, which the article referenced does not do.
AB Sanders
...and a correction:
Dear Editors: Matt Welch’s op-ed ‘Iraq forever’ says that Hillary Clinton ‘has proposed a congressional vote to *reauthorize* the war effective next month, the fifth anniversary of the original authorization measure’s passage, although there appears to be little prospect that it will be taken up.’ The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article from which the quote is taken says ‘Mrs. Clinton has proposed a congressional vote to *deauthorize* the war effective next month, the fifth anniversary of the original authorization measure’s passage, although there appears to be little prospect that it will be taken up.’ In other words, the quotation as it appears on your website (and possibly in your paper) says the exact opposite of the original quotation. I hope that you will run a correction. (It is possible that the Post-Gazette made a typographical error in the original version of the story which has since been corrected, and that Welch’s quote was taken from the original, but I still think it merits correction.) Yours truly,Matt Weiner
Thanks, Matt W., for pointing out the error.
Robert Greene’s ‘The great car-tax swindle’ draws shameless self-promotion:
AMERICANS: GUILTY OF EXTRAVAGANT OVER-INDULGENCE--TOO MANY CARS It is time for local governments to start increasing the taxes on multiple-car and multiple- home ownership--a progressive tax. If a household owns more than one car or one home, there should be an increasingly higher annual tax percentage on every car/home after the first one. This would be a fair way to encourage a reduction of cars on the road and unnecessary, energy consuming, second homes; to increase revenues for bridge, road, and transit system improvements, and to fight Global Warming.This progressive tax would also provide the revenue needed to lower or eliminate the cost of transit passes.Additional help in establishing an effective, voluntary, plan can be found in the new book:’HOW TO LIVE WELL WITHOUT OWNING A CAR’ by Chris Balish....’With all the media hype about Climate Change, Traffic Congestion, and Oil Addiction, there aren’t many out there talking about doing something really worth while about the major culprit--the CAR. This book has a great, completely voluntary, plan that not only helps to achieve National Energy Independence, but also helps all people to achieve Personal Financial Freedom.’EXAMPLE: We are all familiar with Car Rentals, but how many know anything about the rapidly growing Car Sharing Companies?Tom BalishLedyard, CT
...a Reno cri de coeur:
I applaud the LA Times for its on-going examination of local, regional and state zoning and taxation issues, and for daring to question and criticize. My hometown newspaper has lost its capacity to question the system. The consequence is that ordinary citizens are left in the dark, public opinion is disregarded, and government and business are free to operate, unencumbered. Reno’s skyrocketing increase in tax increment funding and self-funding redevelopment zones is staggering. Public dollars are increasingly being transferred to private businesses, with no public accounting. And no one makes a peep. Educating your readers about tax and zoning issues is vital.Tracy FiglerReno
...and a back-of-the-envelope math lesson:
The only flaw in the logic in the article is that with or without the slash in the car license tax, the price of gas would have soared, hence the sales tax would have soared.Meaning that if we didn’t cut the car tax, we would be paying the increased car tax AND increased sales tax.You get the picture!! Richard Mogy
Finally, Paul Thornton’s ‘Space program lunacy’ turns out to be, like NASA, a gift that won’t stop giving no matter how much you beg:
The desire to explore and expand our horizons is admirable, but not sufficient reason to spend the kind of money it really takes to fund NASA. However, we need to also look at the indirect return on investment this type of research creates. The Apollo program that brought back moon rocks also invented CAT Scanners, MRI systems, kidney dialysis machines, cordless power tools & appliances, new athletic shoe designs & manufacturing techniques, new water purification systems, and over 1,000 other technologies which have benefited U.S. industry, improved the quality of life, and created jobs for many Americans. The Orbiter (aka, Shuttle) continues this tradition of technology “spinoffs” with a miniaturized ventricular assist pump, new automotive insulation materials, new blood diagnostic instruments, gas leak detectors, the infrared thermometer you used in your ear last time you were sick, a new land mine removal device, new treatments for brain tumors in children, new prosthesis materials, a new rescue extrication tool, video stabilization software, and much, much more.I can only imagine the technology breakthroughs we would see in ecology, environmental stewardship, and human healthcare if and when we make a serious commitment to permanent human colonization of another world.Terry BondDacula, Georgia
Other than a bunch of Chemerinksygate notices that are way past their expiration date, that’s about it. Keep those cards and letters coming, and thanks to everybody who wrote.