Government oversight neglected

Surprise! Surprise! Iran doesn’t like the USA. Iran may shut down our oil supply.

Once more gas prices go up. Our service industries will be forced to charge consumers more. Did we really not see this one coming? This government continues to throw our money away on “may-help” substitutes for existing affordable energy sources.

Common sense tells me that our No. 1 priority should be to get this nation self-reliant in manufacturing our own products. A free enterprise system without government control will put our people back to work and make consumer products affordable. The question is whether this president and Congress want to achieve that same goal.

It would be unfair not to recognize the failure of “we the people” to uphold our obligations as citizens. How many eligible citizens are registered to vote? How many of these make the effort of giving a few minutes every other year to use that vote? The old excuses of “‘I don’t have time” or “I don’t like anyone running” or “I’m just one vote” are inexcusable. It’s time to tell it like it is. When you refuse to make this commitment, you demonstrate disregard for that freedom so many have fought for.

SHIRLEY HILLMAN Ossian

Speak up for the post office

Do you like your post office? Want to keep it? Let your congressperson know now. Big changes are in the pipeline; none of them good. Congress in 2006 made new laws for the post office; one was that the post office had to pre-fund its retirees’ health care plan for the next 75 years in the next 10 years. Doing this has put the post office in the red.

Now post office management says drastic cutbacks in service are necessary to stem the red ink. This will kill the post office. Is this the desired result so that private companies can take over post office service? Certain elements of government have been wanting to whack the post office for a long time – to turn it over to private corporations. It’s a cash cow in their view.

It’s your post office. If you want to keep it, let your lawmakers know: Hands off the post office and change the law prefunding retiree health care plans, which is killing the post office now.

Yeah, I have an ax to grind here, but all this is still right. You won’t like a privatized Postal Service. Other countries have this and they hate it.

JOANNE RATCLIFF Delphi

Tax repeal good for business

Two pieces in the Jan. 8 Journal Gazette are a call to action for our Indiana legislators: the editorial “Facts on state’s inheritance tax” and the Metro section article “At 81, Hoosier keeps on farming.”

The Federal Reserve policies of low interest rates have resulted in increased commodity prices, including Indiana farmland. In some instances, heirs of Indiana family farms have sold farmland to pay Indiana inheritance taxes. Likewise, heirs of Indiana businesses have sold the family business in order to pay Indiana inheritance taxes. Is this prudent public policy for Indiana?

The federal government raised the exemption for federal estate taxes – supportive of family farms and family businesses. We urge the Indiana General Assembly to adopt public policies that support a continuance of the Indiana family farm and the Indiana family business. Our legislators should repeal Indiana inheritance taxes.

DONALD E. SIMMONS Fort Wayne

Smoke-free law long overdue

The American Lung Association in Indiana recently released its 10th annual State of Tobacco Control report. The report card format grades states on key tobacco-control policies and Indiana’s effectiveness at adequately protecting citizens from the enormous burden caused by tobacco use.

It’s no surprise that Indiana received an “F” for its smoke-free air law – or lack thereof. The bright side, however, is that House Bill 1149 presents the opportunity to turn our failing grade into a passing one. While the bill wouldn’t protect all workers from secondhand smoke, it would dramatically reduce Hoosiers’ exposure in restaurants, bars and public buildings.

Smoking cost the state nearly $5 billion last year in lost productivity and health care expenditures and took the lives of more than 9,500 Hoosiers. The time is long overdue for Indiana to go smoke-fee.

LINDSAY GRACE Advocacy manager American Lung Association in Indiana