Suggestions For Congress

To the Editor:

The letter sent in by Ed Heaney expresses my sentiment also. We now have a President that by far; nowhere near qualified for the position he is in. His world travels and bowing to lesser dignitaries has done nothing but degrade and embarrass the United States. The people of the world would all be subjects of a Nazi or the Communist Philosophy today if it had not been for United States assistance and the Marshall Plan that was put in place after WWII.

He has surrounded himself with an extremely left wing faction that is incompetent to say the least. His Chief of Staff his primary advisor seems to lead him around by the nose. And I must include his wife also seems to influence his decision process. We have an Attorney General who constantly makes bad decisions. As of a news report this AM: “Holder is looking to the White House for guidance”. Here is an educated man, a lawyer in charge of a vast Justice Department “looking for guidance” from the likes, I have written above. With all due respect to the blind (& I have relations that are blind, so am I in one eye). It is like the blind leading the blind! What I say above also goes for all of his selections for secretary of various departments.

He and that Chief of Staff are now looking into using “Executive Powers” to fulfill their agenda. The states as we knew them have lost far too much of states rights that they were endowed with; within the framework of our Constitution. I watched a speech he made while campaigning. He was doing what he does very well; speak. The short of it was earmarks. He was going to curb earmarks. That was another of a long string of promises he made to the people who voted for him. I thank the Lord I was not one of them.

To make matters worse, our Congress, both houses, are in the sorriest state I have ever seen them in. I have been voting since I was 21, at that time that was the voting age (1952). The leadership in both houses does not have a collective brain between them, especially the leaders of both houses. To add to this we have a President who is not a leader by any definition of the word. He is one of the extremely liberal law professors teaching our children. By far he is not a leader. So considering I would say we are not only leaderless but we have lost our way.

I am adding to this an e-mail I received from a friend. I doubt it will ever be passed as an amendment or law. But it sounds damn good to me.

We have a Government that has equally shared responsibly; the Presidency, Congress (split two ways) and the Supreme Court. Maybe it is time for the Supreme Court to do what is the inevitable. Only someone has to take that action to the court. “Pull in the reins in both of the other two branches of our government”. I must add the two dominant parties also.

“Congressional Reform Act of 2010”

1. Congressional term limits: 12 years only, one of the possible below:

a. Two six year Senate terms.

b. Six two year House terms.

c. One six year Senate term & three two yr. House terms.

Serving in the congress is an honor not a career. The founding Fathers envisioned Citizen Legislators, serve your term and go home & back to work.

2. No tenure /no pension.

A Congressman receives pay while in office & receives NO pay when out of office.

3. Congress past present and future must participate in the Social Security System. All funds in their present retirement system must be immediately moved to the present Social Security system as it is set up for all American Citizens.

4. Congress must purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans do.

5. Congress will no linger vote themselves a pay increase. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%

6. Congress loses their current health benefits and participates in the same health care system as the American People.

7. Congress will equally abide in all laws imposed on the American public.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressman are void as of 1/1/11.

Over the past several weeks some congressman and senators have refused to run for office in both of our esteemed parties. Some of those reasons may have been selfish reasons. Yet others could have been for reasons of conscience. Does that tell the leadership something? I doubt it very much.

Michael Falabella

Dig Out Fire Hydrants

To the Editor:

This last snowstorm has left more than a foot of snow in Garden City. I couldn’t help noticing that for days, so many fire hydrants are completely covered by frozen snow which creates a dangerous condition in the event of a fire.

Residents who have fire hydrants in front of their house should be encouraged to remove snow from and around the hydrants so as not to delay fireman who would need to shovel away snow and clean off the hydrants before being able to attach water hoses. Even a slight delay could result in a loss of life or an increase in the amount of property damage.

Joe Giacoponello

Thank You

To The Editor:

I would like to thank the Mineola-Garden City Rotary Club and the Community National Bank for hosting last weeks Art Auction with partial proceeds going to RotaCare.

RotaCare is a free health care facility supported entirely by volunteers to provide care for individuals who do not have health insurance and and unable to pay for care. Please view our website to see how you could volunteer or contribute to RotaCare (www.rortacareny.org).

Thanks again for committee members, Jennifer Poupis, Alba Spinelli, Carmen Armstrong, Peter Marshall and Connie Deckel as well as King’s Supermarkets, 7th St Café, Maxxels, Garden City Pizza, Eleanor Rigby’s, Piccola Bussola, Romeo’s, Carle Place Diner, Bagelman and City Cafe for providing their culinary specialties.

Jim Brady

President, RotaCare