LETTERS

It’s nothing but waste

I am all for immigration reform. This giant wall along our Southern border is not reform. It is a giant waste of money.

The wall that exists in some areas is easily compromised. People cut through, climb over and dig under the existing walls that we, as taxpayers, have already spent billions on.

Spending more money on a bad idea just makes it more expensive, not better.

This giant wall is not about immigration reform. It seems it is all about big government contracts with massive cost overruns. The estimates of $30 billion to $50 billion are just like the estimates for the Iraq War. No way this is anywhere near the costs of building and enforcing security along a giant wall from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico.

There is no plan to remove this wall. That means it will forever be a money hole.

JEFF LAHA Little Rock

Endangered liberties

The National Security Agency has been spying on Americans. Government spy types apparently are spewing red herrings all over the media to sugarcoat their deeds. Some apologists say that traffic analysis doesn’t count as real spying. Others say that it’s only an invasion of privacy if it involves real-time surveillance. Both evade the point that the government is using aggression to spy on us.

The most dangerous aspect, I think, is rarely mentioned-the enhanced ability to selectively enforce laws against dissidents and critics. If you worried about the IRS targeting patriot or anti-war groups, then you should be petrified about a government that could effectively imprison anyone it wants by bringing up past conversations and finding an illegality.

Yes, the government tells us that spying on Americans is nothing to worry about, but renowned cryptographer Bruce Schneier warns, “You have to assume everything is being collected. … Everyone is playing word games; no one is telling the truth.”

If you believe that the generally benevolent government is “here to help you,” you probably support the “anti-terrorist” spying on people. You are a statist, at least on this issue. If you distrust the state and believe that compulsory government is a danger to your liberty, you probably are against U.S. spying on citizens, and supportive of Edward Snowden.You are a libertarian, at least on this issue. Do you support more or less government intrusion on individual liberty? Do you support more or less government violence/power?

BILL ORTON FayettevilleSee

no logic in votes

As college students head back to school next month, all will be faced with higher costs of attendance. Some will face much higher costs thanks to Sen. John Boozman. He voted against a bill to let the interest rate for subsidized student loans go back to the rate before it doubled.

Until a longer-term solution can be found, letting the rate go back seems to be a reasonable approach, but I’ve failed over the last couple of years to see any reason in Sen. Boozman’s votes.

Whatever the Republican Party tells him to do, that is what he does.

DAVE DINGLER North Little Rock

Struggling to survive

Today, over 40 percent of retired folks in our state survive on their Social Security checks. Now, our administration and legislators in Washington are considering how to reduce cost-of-living adjustments to Social Security. This would reduce individuals’ monthly payment, and over time, would reduce their income by thousands of dollars.

Today, many senior citizens can’t even pay for necessary medical prescriptions. Children go to bed hungry. Way too many people are homeless without a decent bed to sleep in.

The news has gone into great detail on the wasteful spending in Afghanistan. Our military leaders told the Defense and State Departments that millions were being spent on buildings and equipment that are not necessary.

The Defense Department has ordered aircraft and helicopters for the Afghan air force which has no qualified air crews or maintenance personnel to operate them. Our country has spent about $90 billion so far, just in Afghanistan alone. How many more billions are we going to spend there and no telling how many other countries?

It’s time to put a stop to foreign aid, regardless of what John Boozman or Mark Pryor say.

Obviously, our representatives in D.C. do not have their constituents’ best interests at heart. Just think what the money could do here for the disabled, senior citizens, the homeless, schools, etc. It’s time for new leadership in Washington.

ROLLAND DOCKHAM Cherokee Village

Let the readers decide

Re Paul Christ’s letter about religion letters: Enough! Please stop printing letters from those who favor abortion, homosexuality, etc. We’ve heard it all before … no one’s opinion will change, especially with these writers’ discussion techniques, blah, blah, blah.

Seems to me that Mr. Christ and others will try just about anything to stop Christians from voicing their opinions.

I have an idea. You do your writing, and let us do ours, then let the readers decide for themselves what they want to read. Isn’t that what freedom of expression is all about? For goodness sake, quit trying to tell someone they can’t state their own beliefs when that is exactly what you are doing, stating your belief.

If I don’t like what you write and don’t want to read your letters, I won’t. I don’t think it is too much to expect the same from you and others who believe like you do.

PHYLLIS FARISH Bella Vista

What market can do

I recently received an email concerning an Oklahoma City surgical center that had begun posting prices online for all-inclusive surgical procedures. Not surprisingly, a bidding war began; the variance in costs between institutions is staggering.

Perhaps if this had happened sooner, we could have avoided the brouhaha that is Obamacare.

ALISON YAMAUCHI Little Rock