Letters to the Editor - Jan. 24

<p><b>I can't afford Obama</b></p><p>Our elitist president needs to understand that the taxpayers can't afford to furnish everyone a jumbo jet and stretch limos to ride around in.</p><p>Some of us, like Scot Brown and myself, drive pickups. I like my pickup and it is good enough for me, but maybe beneath Obama's self esteem.</p><p>My truck is a few year's old, as it was bought during the Bush years. I hope it remains in good shape as I, like millions of other's, can't afford one under Obama's (mis)leadership.</p><p><i>Sonny Tillman, </p><p>High Springs</i></p><p><b>Distorting my record</b></p><p>There's been a lot of deliberate and blatant misinformation about my amendment to the Senate health-care legislation that aims to protect the benefits of seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.</p><p>Fact is, there was no deal and the Medicare Advantage amendment protects some 800,000 seniors all across Florida, and not just 300,000 in three counties. It also helps others in states similar to Florida where seniors face especially high health-care costs, like in California and New York.</p><p>I brought the amendment up in the Senate Finance Committee's public meeting last October, at which time it was fully debated and the committee approved it.</p><p>There was no hush-hush deal for my vote on the broader health-care bill. </p><p>I hope this information helps set the record straight for anyone who is interested in the facts. </p><p><i>Bill Nelson,</p><p>U.S. Senator</p><p>Washington, D.C.</i></p><p><b>Toss the Democrats</b></p><p>There is ever growing puzzlement about Congress' lemming-like insistence on passing the very unpopular Obamacare bill. Any reasonable person would think they would avoid doing this because they would surely be voted out of office in the next honest election.</p><p>Somehow they are confident that they can make the next election turn out "right" for them no matter what. They will have to "fix it" by any means possible. The Brown vs. Coakley election, in Massachusetts, may be a preview. Our election officials certainly need to be on high alert.</p><p><i>William C. Heithaus,</p><p>Branford</i></p><p><b>Why do I pay taxes?</b></p><p>The latest marketing scam on television is insurance to protect the consumer from identity theft. </p><p>I have a Social Security number mainly so Uncle Sam can tax my income. But if we have to pay corporate America to protect our identities there is no reason to continue to fund agencies like the FBI. If we have to pay corporate America to protect our identities, we should stop funding most of the policing agencies in Washington, D.C., and in state government also. </p><p><i>Michael W. Harris,</p><p>Lake City</i></p><p><b>Our fallen hero</b></p><p>I would just like to say thank you for all you did in the remembrance of our local fallen hero.</p><p>Dixie County Sheriff's Office Capt. Chad Reed. Chad was a inspiration to all he came in contact with. Chad helped our county in so many ways to better serve us with everything he did to make this county a better to place to live in.</p><p>Chad always had time to listen if you needed to talk. Chad touched so many lives and was a family man with great pride and loved his job to the fullest.</p><p>RIP Capt. Chad Reed: for you will always be remembered and never forgotten.</p><p>Thank to The Gainesville Sun for all you did to remember Chad.</p><p><i>Charlie Watson,</p><p>Cross City</i></p><p><b>Pumping Florida dry</b></p><p>If you see a sinkholes you have seen an ancient aquifer collapse.</p><p>Farmers struggling to save their crops in the freezing conditions pumped so much water from the aquifer that dozens of sinkholes opened up, wells went dry, and cracks on roadways temporarily shut-down traffic.</p><p>With all the money that will be spent on reconstruction for roads, homes, wells and fruitless (pun intended) meetings with organizations that produce nothing, you would think this state would share in the blame. </p><p>Maybe Attorney General Bill McCollum needs to start an inquiry. Does the revenue generated by produce agriculture offset the expense of damage repairs? Or do Floridians once again pay for the corporate losses? </p><p>Or should we just drink our imported bottled water, wash our clothes on a rock, bathe with the morning dew and just shut up?</p><p><i>Denny Cautrell,</p><p>Gainesville</i></p><p><b>A tax on health</b></p><p>A few months ago, the Democrats in Congress were reviling the health insurance companies, calling them predators and blaming them for the constant, crushing cost increases. Now the same Democrats are prepared to impose a "reform" scheme that requires every American to buy policies from those same companies. </p><p>Who will be charged with enforcing compliance? The IRS.</p><p>Why should this vital agency be transformed into collection thugs for the insurance industry? Is this even close to being constitutional?</p><p>I voted for Barack Obama believing that effective, just reform would follow. I am ashamed for being so gullible, and I don't believe the late Sen. Ted Kennedy would approve of this great gift to the health insurance companies.</p><p><i>Cary Ader,</p><p>Gainesville</i></p><p><b>Message received</b></p><p>There certainly was a message sent out loud and clear on Jan. 19. That message coincides with what my father told me all through my childhood: Everything comes clean on wash day.</p><p>If Jan. 19 wasn't wash day, I don't know what day it was. I sure feel clean, refreshed and ready to get out there and fight to win my country back.</p><p>Taxation without representation is immoral and unconstitutional, and we the people are letting those in Washington know that we aren't going to stand here and put up with it for one more second. </p><p>This is just the start of things. We are about to really get things fired up and clean house. </p><p><i>Lesley Reddick, </p><p>Micanopy</i></p><p><b>No new taxes</b></p><p>The Gainesville City Commission recently met to address a $5.6 million revenue deficit. Commissioner Lauren Poe told The Gainesville Sun that he would like to bring back the fire assessment fee.</p><p>This fee was previously set aside due to citizen outrage regarding its ill-conceived design to tax churches and charities. Such organizations are among the hardest hit financially by the current recession. </p><p>Here are two ideas to make up the deficit; neither of them involves raising taxes or imposing fees:</p><p>1. Stop proposing new spending projects that are not vital to our city's survival until we are out of the recession. </p><p>2. Reassess every program, expense, department, and staff position that was implemented in the last 5 years and do away with what is not absolutely necessary or within the job description of local government. </p><p>I urge readers to contact your commissioners. Tell them to stop proposing new spending projects, stop raising our taxes.</p><p><i>Robert Krames,</p><p>Gainesville</i></p>