Letters to the editor
Our generation is not lazy; we are well educated and well aware of global issues. I will admit that a Twitter "Tweet" notified me of the Info-Celebrity Billy Mays passing, and that a friend's Facebook status informed me of the latest "Lunar Blasting"
I have decided to utilize the powerful social media platform towards an important cause. To assure our friends in uniform, that we are aware of their sacrifice overseas, We Band Behind our Brothers and Sisters.
I do not care if you are a Democrat or Republican; a Jedi or a Trekkie; or, a Mac or a P
We can all agree on one thing:
We have all been affected by today's war. Let's do this. Support them. They are our lunch buddies, our bathroom buddies, our lab partners, our wing men, our designated drivers, our FRIENDS.
An easy $1 donation will go towards the cost of sending a care package (each package costs $11.95 postage).
Why donate?
1. Prove to other Generations that we are NOT wasting away at the computer, we are making a difference!
2. Pressing the "Donate" button is faster than creating your latest Facebook status at your lunch break..
3. ...or thinking of the latest witty 140 character "Tweet"..
4. Let's Band Behind our Brothers and Sisters; and use our Savvy Social Media Skills to Support our Friends!
You can donate at the following Web sites:
Visit the official Facebook "Cause" page! Click Join, let our deployed friends be aware that we know that they are not forgotten! Search: Band Behind our Brothers and Sisters.
Or, visit the official Fox Valley Troop Support Web site, www.fvts.org.
Olivia Giachino
Fox Valley Truth Support
St. Charles
President Mary Stith stated: "The Board appreciates the opportunity to inform the public about the work of the school board and wonderful things our administration and staff are doing...."
Nonsense. If the board really appreciated more exposure, they would have done this long ago. They know the more public involvement, the more the public will question and challenge the board's will -- chaining it with a conscience.
Actually, it was FACTS members (For Accountable Controlled Tax Spending), a Geneva grassroots organization, who encouraged and implored the board until they relented.
At the beginning of last summer, a FACTS member requested information about expenses from district credit cards through the Freedom of Information Act. Once made public, these costs forced the board to acknowledge them by publishing them on the school Web site, admitting to tens of thousands of dollars spent annually on food and entertainment.
To join over 200 other Geneva taxpayers dedicated to clarify spending and increase accountability, receive FACTS e-mails by going to taxfacts@sbcglobal.net Help to get our taxing bodies to tell it like it is. Richard Holinger Geneva The dictionary defines it as a feeling of deep sympathy or sorrow for someone's misfortune. This can be said of the many elderly persons left to fend for themselves, some abandoned by their children, others who want to be on their own and not be a burden to the families, is what we are facing in an aging world. People are living longer due to better health services and medical technology. It used to be grandparents, parents and their children would be born and died in the same house. At the turn of the century the average life span was about 55, give or take a few years. Society today is presented with a real problem. The average life span today for seniors in the 70s or 80s. As we live longer more problems are created for society. Do you have any idea how many nursing homes of different classifications there are in this country tending to the needs of seniors? There are hundreds upon hundreds in every state. Medical costs are soaring. If you are an elderly person and have your health, you are indeed fortunate, but how about the millions who are in poor health or have a debilitating illness. They need care and compassion, not just on the part of society, but of their families. When we were in our 20s, 30s, and 40s we thought we would never arrive at being a senior, but aging will happen to all of us faster than we think. Do all you can to show care and compassion to your elderly parents and relatives, for your day is coming when your care will be in the hands of your children. Arthur L. Andre St. Charles There are countless red flags raised from what we know what's on the table; a price tag of over $1 trillion, 10 years of funding for 5 years of program, premiums for existing plans will go up and are likely to be taxed, Medicare Advantage will be gutted, additional burdens on states for Medicaid, and on and on. In the current rhetoric, doctors, insurance companies, and even the Chamber of Commerce are being demonized, the elderly are treated as commodities, and youth are penalized for their healthiness. After all this, the number of people covered goes from the current 90 percent to only 95 percent. The so-called public option, state's choice, triggers or coops all lead to the same thing -- single payer system government takeover of health care. In the end, it is all just a path to tyranny by self-righteous politicians plotting behind closed doors to decide our fate. The Constitution, Article I, Section 8, provided by our nation's founders gives Congress the power to collect taxes to "pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States." "General welfare" does not mean wealth redistribution. The goose that lays the golden eggs is in the oven, and it is almost cooked. Call and write Congressman Foster and Senators Durbin and Burris. Let your voice be heard. Lee Lueking Batavia
