Passed ship in night
The recent story about the SS United States awoke in me a memory long forgotten.
I was stationed in Orleans, France, and assigned as an assistant to the Com-A Transportation Officer, Major Le Roy Meyers. One of our duties was to book transportation for military families returning to the United States.
At that time in 1953 and 1954, bookings were made not only for air travel and troop ship, but for accommodations on the SS United States and her sister ship, the SS America. Mostly, officers were booked for travel on those two ships.
My wife and baby daughter were with me, and we were selected to consider that option. However, since we were well aware of the obligation to tip those who would serve us on shipboard, we had to decline that opportunity. I had just bought a German car to take home, and it had been quite expensive to bring my family to France as the government did not pay for that.
To this day I have some regret that we had to pass up that opportunity.
I wish Susan Gibbs the best in her effort to save the SS United States.
LAWRENCE M. HENRY
Hot Springs
Better use for money
Before spending money on high-tech gear, how about some low-tech gear such as some snow plows so we can move after a snowstorm? How about some fixing of our deteriorating roads?
All the high-tech stuff does no good if we cannot use our roads; $2.7 million for another boondoggle.
LEONARD VAVRA
Mountain Home
A difficult transition
David Barno's recent article in the Perspective section on the Army's transition from war to peace really hit home.
As one who lived through the transition after Vietnam, I saw it first-hand as myself and thousands of other trained leaders left the services--the Navy in my case. A friend of mine at the time summed up the dilemma perfectly one night when he said, "I agree that war is hell, but this peace time is just unbearable."
JIM GIFFORD
Hot Springs Village
Biased news coverage
A recent article about anti-Pryor ad backers is, I believe, a prime example of lack of common sense, economic illiteracy and/or intent to deliberately deceive.
The article says the Obamacare insurance premium tax will cost insurance companies $100 billion over the next decade. I believe this is absolutely not true. Insurance companies will build the premium tax into their premium base and their customers will pay the tax. Any business that doesn't include its tax expenses in the price it charges for its products will not stay in business very long. It is puzzling to me that "wire report" journalists and "Democrat-Gazette staff," most of whom probably have college degrees, would compile a lengthy article on the subject and not once tell the readers that insurance buyers are going to pay the $100 billion insurance policy taxes.
Further down was the customary regurgitation of the always-handy Koch brothers phrase seemingly so much loved by left-wingers in the "news" craft. Big yawn! Amazingly, the compilers failed to climax the story with a link to the Tea Party. The wire services, staff reporters and liberal opinion writers should offer praises daily for Koch and Tea. How comforting. Go to the workplace, pop a Koch, pour a Tea and your workday is half-done.
In case the news writers and opinion columnists need help finding left-wing organizations that indulge in Arkansas politics, here are a few that are hidden in plain sight: George Soros, Media Matters, Center for American Progress, the Hollywood left, the pro-abortion racket, radical-left feminists such as Emily's List, National Education Association, the SEIU, the AFL-CIO and many others. Open your eyes.
GERALD HOLLAND
Springhill
Tearing down society
A note to Deborah Meldahl and Bernard A. Frazer: I believe it matters not a whit whether our prince of fools in the White House is black, white, brown or something in between.
What matters is that it seems he is busy, whenever he can take time off from the golf course, tearing down our free-market, capitalistic society which has served us so well, and replacing it with European socialism.
The saddest part of this is that it appears he is being helped by our own Sen. Mark Pryor.
JOHN G. VOWELL
Little Rock
Went a bit overboard
C.G. Ball's letter eulogizing President Harry Truman, I believe, went a little if not completely overboard from a historical standpoint, although Truman showed remarkable, perhaps unique, judgment and determination while bucking an electoral opponent who promoted socialistic government and widespread popularity of the John Birch Society. Also, he nurtured the programs established in the regime of FDR. This is not to low-rate his great courage and judgment in the decision to drop the atomic bomb. It is gut-wrenching to contemplate.
He is one of our great presidents in his, at times, unpopular decisions.
Yet, how can Truman be considered more important than George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theo-dore and Franklin Roosevelt before his time, and several since?
DALE WOOD
North Little Rock
The person to trust?
In the military, there is an unwritten code that every service member "has the back" of his or her buddy. It is entirely built on trust. Every man and woman can be trusted even to save another's life if need be.
It was reported recently that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has paid $96 million to Arkansas farmers for recent farm losses. Much more will be paid since the program goes to the end of the year. I imagine 100 percent of these farmers are quite happy. I also imagine quite a few are Republicans.
What's the connection? When the 2014 farm bill was passed, it made this $96 million-plus available to our Arkansas farmers. Five members of Congress from Arkansas voted for the bill and for the farmers. The only congressman from Arkansas to vote against the bill and the farmers was Tom Cotton.
If I was an Arkansas farmer, the last person I would trust to have my back would be Tom Cotton.
JIM RAWLINS
Bigelow
Editorial on 08/10/2014