Published: November 10, 2008 09:36 am      

11/9/2002 Letters to the Editor

Elections, unions prove some Americans are dumb



There is an old saying that goes, “Take a look at how dumb the average person is and then consider that half the population is not even that smart.”

Well we can now change that half to 52 percent because that is the percentage of the popular vote Obama won.

Again I state that Democrats operate from emotions and opinions rather than facts. Of course, in all things in this universe there are exceptions. I have statements by two new people to correct, plus questions for Earl G Pierce.

Mr. Pierce you stated in your letter of Sept. 21, “Labor has not priced them [Bell Helicopter] out of any contract with any private or government contract.”

The government on Oct. 17 canceled a multibillion dollar contract with Bell for ballooning costs. Could high wages have had something to do with the ballooning costs? Who are you going to blame for that because the bulk of an item’s cost when produced by union members is the excessive labor cost?

Mr. Jimmie W. Furr jumped on me on Oct. 5 and proceeded to make several avoidable errors. Democrats take off half-cocked screaming and assuming all the way.

If Furr had bothered to read the first letter I wrote about the bill in Congress that will cause labor members to lose their secret ballot — referred to this week on a financial channel with the pundit’s observation that Obama would certainly sign it — he would have known I was indeed a reluctant union member at one time.

But he did not bother ascertaining the facts and proceeded to err in several of his statements, which were based on the incorrect assumption that I had never been a union member.

You see Mr. Furr, I have never threatened to close down the companies I worked for to get higher wages. I simply produced more and was therefore paid more.

Your remark about lawyers and doctors being in unions is correct, except those unions are primarily to provide “peer review” to make sure the members are doing the right thing.

There may have been peer reviews in your union, but I doubt it. All I ever saw a union do was make workers lazy and keep low- and nonproducers on the payroll after their trial periods were over.

You may be enjoying your bloated retirement secured by blackmailing a company Mr. Furr, but the majority of our retirement is from interest on money earned and saved, living below our means. That and Social Security along with a small pension earned in eight years on my last job and my wife’s 10 year teacher’s retirement.

My wages, except for one year in 50 years working, were never based on contracts, blackmail or strikes, only on production.

Now to Bill Conover’s statement on Oct. 19.

You have probably never made a more accurate statement in you life Bill, and possibly the only factually correct one, when you said, “Jimmie Furr is a friend of mine. And, you sir, are no Jimmie Furr.” Bill, I thank the Lord that I am not like Furr. Because as you go on to state he is a committed Christian and Democrat, etc.

I would appreciate it if you would explain to me how a committed Christian can support the murder of infants because they are inconvenient? As is supported and advocated by the Democratic Party.

And don’t give me any of that business about it being a woman’s body and she has the prerogative to kill her mistake. It is plain premeditated murder, especially partial-birth abortions.



W.V. Bonds

Cleburne



God knows the big picture



I assume you will print some post election comments. Here are mine:

Amid my fear of my hometown, Chicago, corrupt politics and the accusation-rumors, I would counsel my “deer-in-the-headlight” friends, “Don’t worry, just pray and vote early.”

Two things I know for sure: God answers when we pray, and he knows better the big picture — what is best for us in the long run.

Now we need to pray that God will guide our new President Obama to his ultimate best potential.



Maryjane Brady

Cleburne



Thanks from Gerard PTA



We would like to thank all the area businesses that graciously made donations to Gerard Elementary for its annual Fall Festival.

Because of these generous donations the Fall Festival was a huge success! Once again, thank you!



Robin Howe

Janie Galen

Gerard PTA



Thanks for exposing W.V. Bonds

As a result of Mr. Way’s letter to the editor (Oct. 26) about W.V. Bonds plagiarism, I was compelled to check the Cleburne Times-Review archives.

Almost every letter that I checked personally sent to the editor by Mr. Bonds contained plagiarism!

Thank you, Mr. Way for exposing this. I stopped reading CTR’s letters to the editor long ago because it turned into Bonds’ weekly, partisan rant, peppered with an occasional letter of substance.

It takes as much time to properly cite material as it does to “cut and paste” or change a word or two of an article to make it sound a little different. Integrity compels us to cite.

Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to have great college professors who taught proper citing methods, whether Bluebook, APA or MLA citation methods.

In closing, if I could borrow the words of Gregory D. Way, “Hopefully , if he [Bonds] , is at a loss for words in the future, he will simply skip a week ... until something original comes to mind.”

I concur.

For those interested in exposing plagiarism, visit www.plagiarismchecker.com.



Luanne Leonard

Cleburne