Sound Off for Feb. 6
Readers sound off about the world around them:
Adoptable children
Regarding the caller who said U.S. orphanages are full of children, the fact is that orphanages are few and far between nowadays. Most of the 100,000 plus adoptable children in this country are part of the foster care system and we know how well that works. There are homes for children but their residents are not, for the most part, adoptable children. They are often youth who have experienced profound abuse and neglect and are there for treatment. People like the caller, who I suspect has never adopted anybody, find it easy to say whatever they want without a shred of credible evidence.
Fudged the truth
Having spent most of my career getting grants for charities, I was intrigued by the Sound Off called “Dishonest scientist.” The caller said “Last June nearly $2.4 million from the Obama stimulus plan was given to Michael Mann to study climate change.” While grants that size to individuals certainly happen, it is unusual enough that I had to find out how he did it. Turns out your caller fudged the truth. Mann got $541,184 over three years to study climate change, no little sum. But the bulk of the grant, $1.9 million, went to his employer, Penn State, to study the potential effects of climate change on the spread of infectious diseases to be used by departments other than Mann’s. You can say anything you want in Sound Off. Doesn’t make it true.
Good speech
The president made a very good speech the other night and from what I hear on the television this morning, the Republicans, you would think that they were the ones that got elected. They are being very stubborn, very arrogant and very rude to always go against whatever the president would ask them to cooperate with. And some of the things are some of the things they want and they won’t do it because he is proposing it. What’s wrong with these Republicans?
Eight-year mess
I read an article in the Jan. 30 Chronicle. This person said that Obama did not inherit eight years of the mess we had before. Obama is the one that got us in this mess and it is proven lately to show that the Republicans and everybody else are just tired of what is going on. Obama needs to quit. Obama needs to quit and take responsibility for himself.
A cruel thought
Homeless children are not available for adoption, as one of your callers implied last week. We don’t take children away from their parents solely because they don’t have a home and give them to other people. What a cruel thought.
Library fuss
I don’t know what all the fuss is about about the St. Charles Library. I enjoy going to the library and so does my family. That’s one place where my kids can go where they can look for the books that they want to read and I don’t have to be standing right there with them. We like the people, the employees. They are so nice and helpful. What is all this about the library? Complain about something else. Change the channel already.
Library folly
This is about the proposed new library that I think is unnecessary and a folly at this time. District 303 is cutting services and classes and laying off teachers to cut their budget by $5 million for next year. This will affect children across all grades and schools. I’d say the school district needs my support and money more than St. Charles Library does. If citizens of St. Charles voted down a referendum to fund a new middle school and improvements to existing schools because it was too costly, why should we commit to an even larger sum to fund a new, improved library when the one we have is fine as it is. It doesn’t make sense to me that anyone would sacrifice our children’s educational needs but approve a new building to house the latest best sellers.
Fiscal conservative
In the Jan. 28 the AP reporter did an excellent job describing how, in his state of the union speech, the president attempted to portray himself as something other than what he is. After the embarrassing defeat of the Democrats in Massachusetts, the president realized that he needs to attempt to convince the American people that he is a bipartisan fiscal conservative. That’s why he announced his $150 billion stimulus plan and the job creation bill. He might think the public doesn’t understand his political gimmick. Then he recited his old agenda of climate change and health care as being necessary to pass while at the same time professing to be willing to compromise with the Republicans. Only Barack Obama has the audacity to announce a spending freeze while at the same time pushing another $150 billion stimulus package.
$1 million urinal
Michael Mann, the disgraced scientist, may have gotten a half million grant he didn’t deserve but he’s not alone. Let’s not forget some Bush-era winners such as $1 million for a water-free urinal, $50 million for an indoor rainforest in Iowa, $650,000 for ornamental fish research, $550,000 for a memorial to Dr. Seuss, $1 million for a golf resort bridge in South Carolina, $1.7 million for animal waste research, $2.2 million for Shakespeare-related funding, $15 million for overseas dairy development, and a half-mil for Disneyland buses. Check it out.
Obeys all rules
This is for the person that thought the bus driver was hurrying back. The bus driver follows the speed limit, obeys all safety rules and the kids are safe as normal. Bus drivers do not break the laws to get the kids back. The kids may have thought they were hurrying more than normal, but the bus driver kept his speed within the speed limit and was very, very careful.
Need hawk follow-up
I want to thank you for the coverage that you have been giving to this female hawk that was injured in the plane crash near Waubonsee school a couple of weeks ago. I think your coverage is excellent, and it’s so nice to see someone following the story. Hope you’ll continue to do a follow-up on her condition. Thank you so much for letting us hear about it.
Wants free bones
This is everyone’s favorite Havanese pup dog calling in with the latest scoop from the dog park. We are all awag about how some local banks have stopped giving us free bone treats when we accompany our humans through the drive-through. Bailouts and bonuses it seems are fine for the bankers, but no bones for us. Well, bones for the barkers, not bonuses for the bankers. Make this clear when you go through the drive-throughs.
• You can sound off, as well, by calling our Sound Off line at 630-845-5240 or by sending at e-mail to soundoff@kcchronicle.com.
