Bring back the WPA

I'm writing to tell you that I totally loved Jack Lessenberry's opinion piece on socialism ("Long live socialism," Aug. 23). I have been a socialist since birth and I even voted for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt the last time he ran. The WPA saved our country and we need it again. My solution to becoming a socialist country is "instant run-off voting." We need to start on a state level; Congress will never make it easier to vote for a socialist. First and foremost, we must force Obama to stop the killing and start the healing. —Regina McNulty, Oak Park

Jobs, not socialism

Can Jack Lessenberry ever get over his hatred of the Republicans? They hold the presidential office; he bitches. The Democrats hold the presidential office; he still bitches about them. Jack, can you ever talk about what's right with your own party? Obviously not. Like the Republicans, the Democrats can't do a damn thing right either. They have better ideas in my mind, but they don't enforce a thing. It's all talk, talk, talk — just like Obama and his sheep. You start this week's article out in a mind-numbing way. "I love socialism." No, you don't. You don't at all. You love the idea of socialism. You love that everyone would have money and the rich (those evil bastards) wouldn't be so rich. The poor, who in most cases don't deserve to have the money, would have it freely handed to them and they wouldn't have to do a damn thing! 

The problem that you should be complaining about every week is how our political system isn't doing anything to create jobs, or to bring the millions of jobs back to this country. Obama, since his election, has been quoted speaking about "jobs," yet what has he done? Nothing. Blame Bush all you want, but he's been gone for almost three years now; we don't care about him anymore. It has been in the Democrats' hands for a while now, and we are up shit's creek. —Mike Conte, Roseville

On a lighter note

I am a 54-year-old conservative engineering professor, not exactly in the desired demographic of the Metro Times, but I pick it up every week to read your column (and "Fright from the Bins"). I must correct a statement Jack Lessenberry made in this week's column. The super-rich do spend money. The Wall Street Journal regularly features ads for part-ownership of private jets. See, the stimulus did work! —Andy Yagle, Ann Arbor

POST MORTEM

In response to Larry Gabriel's Higher Ground column, "Schuette gets cheesy" (Aug. 24), Sam Sharp posted:

This is the kind of crap that happens when a state goes Republican. Certainly there are problems with some Democrats, but voting in a Republican is like putting a gun to your head. When did the people of Michigan lose their minds? Did they think that the Republicans would snap their fingers and create jobs? And now the bastards are taking away the jobs that have been produced by the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act (voted in by 63 percent of the voters and winning in 100 percent of Michigan counties). Go figure. 

In response to the same article, foodforthought posted:

If anyone has hijacked Michigan's new law, it is the fear-mongering, industrial-funded, court-enforcement-prison complex headed by Bill Schuette — in his dreams — as he pursues the national stage as Michigan's pointman for Mitt Romney, on the "strength" of his alleged power base of retrograde Republicans. Born with a silver spoon, his pathology demands an entire criminal underclass, including his critics, that he can victimize and feel superior to.

Speaking of poisoned minds, a Canadian study indicates that, unlike alcohol, nicotine, caffeine or morphine, cannabis actually encourages brain cell growth. It has been shown to benefit several neurological disorders, including Parkinson's, MS and Alzheimer's.  And the UCLA's 30-year population study has concluded that smoking cannabis prevents, rather than causes, cancer in those who would have otherwise smoked tobacco.

In response to "Kick the needy" (News Hits, Aug. 24), Kelly posted:

I'm all for helping the needed, the ones that really need it then they should get it, but 1) everyone on the program needs to be drug tested, 2) while being on the program individuals should not be rewarded for having more children, 3) food stamps should only be redeemed at major grocery stores, to eliminate exchanging them for cash, cigarettes, beer, liquor and lotto tickets, 4) welfare should not be made easy to get and, yes, should have a time limit, and 5) a training program needs to be added to educate individuals and get them off welfare. 

We are becoming a welfare state, and a welfare country and we all need to be personally responsible for our actions.

Errataum: The July 20 "Stir It Up" column should have said that Sims-Varner and Associates designed Cobo Center and the Wright Museum of African American History. Today, Sims-Varner and Associates is dissolved, and SGD Associates, LLC is currently the sole owner of those projects.

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