Out of control

RE: Jack Lessenberry's column "Merrily down the drain." (Sept. 30) Sir, since you believe you "certainly should have to pay more state taxes than [you] do," there is no one stopping you from writing a weekly check to the state. Also Jack, since you believe you "owe something to those ... before you ... and after [you]," all you have to do is stand on a street corner and give your money to everyone that passes by you. I always knew you were a jealous person, Jack, but, man, it really runs deep. To zero in on "kids with money" shows me that you have low self-esteem. The money they may get, however much it may be, belongs to them not you or a politician. Now Jack, for all of the years I have read your column, you have condemned the use of force, except when it comes to taxes and socialized medicine. And yet you support a law mandating that everyone carry health insurance, by stating that we "don't have the right to be without health insurance." Can you spell f-a-s-c-i-s-t? Jack, I am glad that some citizens believe "that our state government is .... bloated ...wastes ... money.... [and] wants to cut government spending"… but not enough of them do. Because if they did, Granholm would not be governor. As for state parks, state health inspectors, etc., I say privatize them all except the state police, state prisons, the state national guards and the courts, that's it. And lastly, Jack, you can quote Oliver W. Holmes all you want, but my favorite quote tops yours, "The power to tax means the power to control." —G. Creswell

Liberal hate

Only in Detroit could a white liberal like Jack Lessenberry devote 15 paragraphs ("They lie, all the time," Sept. 16) attacking Joe Wilson as a racist for calling a black man, President Obama, a liar, and then end the column referring to another black man, Adolph Mongo, as a "knuckle dragger." It took Joe Wilson about 12 hours to apologize; can we expect the same decency from Jack? I doubt it, unless Wendell Anthony gets wind of this slur.

I also like the way Jack referred to John McCain as a patriot. The last time I wrote the Metro Times was because of the slimy column he wrote attacking McCain just before the election. —Terry Hicks, Redford

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