Letters to the Editor

Wilkerson’s work should not be forgotten

In this season of Thanksgiving, our community and the Commonwealth should give thanks for having the leadership of Dianne Wilkerson.

I remember being in her State House office when she was taking calls and making calls to help some family or individual. As an elected official, she stood against racial profiling, for CORI Reform and for increased funding for drug and alcohol recovery programs.

People know that she was and remains our champion. We must stand together as a community and not sweep her work under the rug.

She used her law degree to fight for us when nobody else would. She built a mindset that we can not forget when it comes to service in our community. Politics is not a game wherein you can satisfy everybody, but she worked as hard as she could giving of herself and of her time.

Think about what you can do and what we must do to help our Sister to rise above the fray. Stand with her and her family as we move forward.

Haywood Fennell Sr.
Via email

Dumb as a rock?

I don’t know about you, but I’d like to think I have common sense. Case in point: Wasn’t most of the TARP money given to the banks and  the Wall Street gamblers in the form of loans? So, if  most of the money has been paid back, why is the Republican “scream machine” talking as if the money was given away?

What I mean to say is if the money loaned out kept our economy from falling over the abyss — averting a depression — shouldn’t the Obama  and Bush Administrations get credit for doing the right thing?

I’d also like to know why Congressman Barney Frank acts as if the Republicans are to blame for the lack of oversight in regard to the massive bonuses paid out by the rescued institutions and the failure to mandate that the beneficiaries of our tax dollars make funds available for distressed homeowners and small businesses.

Are we supposed to believe that our lawmakers forgot to put in safeguards to protect our money, by accident?

The other night, Barney got defensive on MSNBC after he was put on the spot over his apparent refusal to take any responsibility as the chairman of the banking committee for the debacle other than to say he is going to remedy the situation by taxing the excessive bonuses. Is this the best we can expect from an experienced political leader? Would he loan out his own money with the same lack of concern?

It’s long been apparent to me that the Republicans are not interested in passing serious health care reform. If President Obama fails to get anything passed, they’ll claim victory. And, should he get the bill passed they’ll claim he failed to listen to the American people and will pay for it by losing seats in the upcoming congressional election. While these games are being played, forty thousand people a year are dying from a lack of quality health care.

Yet, a political turncoat like U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman up to his neck in insurance money donations is allowed to threaten the progress of reform legislation, by threatening to vote against it with the Republicans, with little criticism from fellow Democrats. Are we living on the same planet?

Small wonder with so much stupidity on the roll in Washington, D.C., that anything gets done.