I paid my own way through college, am employed in my chosen field, have no student loans due to working full-time while pursuing my degree.
I pay a mortgage on a home I may never own. Married 18-years, we have three children who know the meaning of community. Each morning we kiss the girls goodbye, scratch the three cats under the chin, and pat the dog on the head before heading off to our jobs.
We are among the fortunate to still be employed and comfortably living under a roof. At the end of the month we balance the checkbook and realize that we live paycheck to paycheck. We, like many others, are on the edge.
Saving for a retirement we may never realize, hoping to save for our children's college education, keeping our fingers crossed that we retain our health. We are healthy, lucky, and work hard for what little we have.
All around me I watch lives and society crumble. Lives lost - for what?
Corporate greed, exploitation of resources. All at what costs?
Homes foreclosed, families on the street, lives, families, generations - destroyed. When will the madness stop? When will we as a society finally realize that we cannot continue to ignore our nations perils. It is time for corporations, individuals, and society to realize the common good for all - not just the wealthy.
It is time to close tax loopholes, restructure taxes, and hold corporations accountable. The 99 percent refuse to keep quiet.
Kevin Farrell, Olympia
Don't add to the tax burden
If "yes" on Initiative 1183 passes and provides millions of dollars of additional funding to law enforcement, fire departments and medic services then why would we also need to approve Proposition 1, the levy lid lift for Fire District 3 which will increase all of our property taxes during this time of severe economic hardship.
Let I-1183 be the additional funding source for Fire District 3 without continuing to place the burden on the property owners/taxpayers in Fire District 3.
Harald Jones, Lacey
We must nationalize banks in the U.S.
Recently a number of articles have indicated a dire need for the "Occupy Wall Street" protests to have an inclusive focal point to produce national cohesiveness.
Some time ago my letter stated that all that was needed was for the government to nationalize the banks and then require that each treat their investors as equals in a business enterprise.
The investor provides all the capital for investment purposes, and takes all the risk and the bank, with its expertise at investing for profit, does all the investing.
If an investment produces a $100 profit, the investor gets $50 and the bank gets $50, Instant equality.
This will put instant cash back into the hands of the people who will either spend that money or save it, but it doesn't matter which because the economy will be rejuvenated and this will probably, within 24 hours, start changing everything in the country for the better, or perhaps the world.
For example, every other investment resource in the country will then be forced to follow suit immediately, or all their investors will move their money to a bank for the 50 percent profit and that investment firm will be out of business.
I bet they will change to equality and the over-powering greed that now exists throughout the world, will disappear.
There will be other tremendous spinoffs that can't be covered in this letter.
Gerald F. Walker, Lacey
Next year's election will be pivotal
President Barack Obama is trying to navigate this country through troubled and hazardous uncharted waters. Not all the hands aboard the ship of state are loyal and trustworthy. There is a mutiny. The vessel seems to be running aground on the reef of national debt.
While the description in the first paragraph appears to me to be accurate, a court of inquiry must be convened. Indeed, the court of inquiry is now in session. It is Congress and it is in session.
The purpose of the investigation is to determine if the government operates as it should and should judgment be leveled against it, that is, should a court marshal be summoned.
In the year 2012 the general election will act as a court marshal. We will be the jurors. We will not be sworn in as such, but you must ask yourself, "Can I vote for the candidates in an impartial manner after viewing and considering all the facts?"
This is our patriotic duty. Upon this responsibility rests the future of democracy in the United States of America.
Otto W. Walter, Olympia
Arras is right council choice
I am writing in support of Mark Arras for Lacey City Council position number 3.
I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Arras for over 20 years. He is honest, hard working, and trustworthy. He has outstanding leadership skills backed up with sound experience.
He listens, hears and communicates clearly which has enabled Arras to make tough, sound decisions even in times of great chaos.
Arras has served, not only as a soldier and police officer but in support of youth activities helping to build our future leaders. He is fiscally responsible and cares deeply about his community, the City of Lacey, and has the knowledge, skills and ability to be a great city councilman.
For these reasons, I urge you to vote for Mark Arras for Lacey City Council position number 3 this Nov. 8th.
Steve Johnson, Olympia
Buxbaum well qualified for mayoral position
I believe that Stephen Buxbaum is an excellent choice for Mayor of Olympia.
As a former colleague and subordinate of Buxbaum's for approximately seven years, at Community Trade and Economic Development, I watched as Buxbaum thoughtfully and strategically developed a vision.
As part of his team, I then witnessed and participated in systematically developing the goals, establishing key relationships and successfully implementing a comprehensive and effective set of programs that impacted and supported many citizens in the state of Washington.
My experience with Buxbaum is that he is a highly intelligent, respectful, supportive person deeply committed to public service. Given my experience, I believe Stephen Buxbaum would be an exceptional Mayor for the City of Olympia.
Lisa Vatske, Olympia
State has abandoned its retired workforce
Gov. Chris Gregoire's compassion for illegal alien farm workers is interesting. It appears that she and the Legislature care more about them than retired state employees and teachers.
I began urging legislators to pay the state's share of the PERS 1 fund contribution in the 1980s. (Letters to prove this are available). My requests were consistently ignored, even in years of funding surpluses. PERS 1 and TRS 1 workers fulfilled their part of the contract.
Yet we will suffer a lifelong punishment because the state voided its contract responsibilities.
It appears that none of us will ever get a COLA for the rest of our lives. I guess we're supposed to be bystanders as we watch our pensions become less valuable each year.
I've often heard legislators say that Americans are too lazy to do farm labor. Right now the real unemployment rate ranges between 12 percent and 15 percent. If growers are really paying over $100 a day there are lots of Americans willing to work, there needs to be a coordinated effort to provide transportation and some type of housing. And I don't mean $500 a night hotel rooms.
Gov. Gregoire and legislative supporters should at least consider chartering some buses so that healthy retired teachers and public employees can earn a little money picking apples?
Lawrence Jacobson, Scott Lake
Nathaniel Jones is a good listener
When Olympia City Council candidate Nathaniel Jones talks about why he is running, he makes a point about our community that is especially insightful.
Olympia, he says, is fortunate to have so many citizens who volunteer and take an active interest in public policy and the quality of life in our community. They work in our parks, clean up downtown, grow food for the Food Bank, sit long hours in advisory committee meetings, and engage in debate about what is best for the future of Olympia.
But when they raise concerns, they aren't always listened to seriously and treated with respect by our elected officials. When this happens, public involvement is discouraged instead of promoted.
I like Jones' priorities for Olympia, such as cleaning up blighted properties and fixing the broken parking system.
What I like even more, however, is that he values public input, listens carefully, and will be the kind of leader we need who will make sure that concerns of citizens are thoughtfully and fairly addressed.
A vote for Nathaniel Jones is a vote in support of all the people who dedicate their time and effort to improve our community.
Bob Thomas, Olympia
We must go to war with a goal of winning
We wonder how many more years we are going to continue this 10-year expedition in Afghanistan.
Guerilla warfare in Asian countries is not an operation that suits us well and never has. We learned that lesson in Korea and Vietnam many years ago. We didn't isolate those battlefields and have failed to do that in both Iraq and Afghanistan also.
So what we end up with is an open ended conflict where the enemy continues to get unlimited amounts of men and material to continue the fight.
The last conflict we won was World War II and it was won by the U.S. and our allies. It was not the United Nations that won it regardless of what the history revisionists would have you believe. The U.N. was not formed until after WWII was over.
Since then, all of our conflicts have been conducted by the U.N. with disastrous results caused by their so called, "rules of engagement." We should never go to war in a foreign country to enforce some ridiculous U.N. resolution to conduct some police action. You don't go to war without a clear goal of victory.
Our soldiers' lives are too precious to waste on some political solution, not to mention the tremendous financial cost.
We have little chance of victory in Afghanistan under U.N. rules. We have essentially granted asylum to the insurgents by not wiping out their bases like we did to our enemies in WWII.
Total war - the only way to win.
William Cosgrove, Tumwater
