Back to the future

To the editor:

Back to the ‘90s with Clinton? Or back to the ‘80s with McCain?

Given the horrors of the last seven years, nostalgia for either era seems reasonable enough. Hillary invokes Bill; McCain invokes Reagan; nobody wants to carry the Bush/Cheney torch.

But there’s an even better option than hitting the rewind button, and that’s a commitment to the future of our nation and ever-changing world with Barack Obama.

Inspiring others is the single most important quality that a leader can possess, and Barack Obama is inspiring a whole generation.

Have you seen the young people who energize his campaign with optimism and a thirst for real change?

Let’s hand off the torch to them because our previous generations don’t have that much to brag about.

Another fine mess

To the editor:

President Ronald Reagan asked, “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?” If your answer is “yes,” vote Republican.

Let’s get real, folks, nothing in life is free. My first question to the American people is: can you handle the truth? I, Rolf Moeller, think President George W. Bush believes he is King George and rules by Divine Right. How is the drug war going, President Bush? Is the border still open with people and drugs coming in? The United States Army is protecting the Iraq borders, you know. Charity begins at home.

I suggest people see “Body of War” or purchase the DVD of it to see what war costs. You pay now for the war or later by devaluing the dollar (printing more money), thus producing inflation. The Second World War had war bonds, victory gardens, gasoline rationing at home, collections, metal drives and women helping to produce weapons. The American people all did their part. Soon, China will produce our weapons as well as our bank dollars, and President Bush is going to the Olympic games in China. Flashback in history to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin—so history repeats itself.

President Ronald Reagan’s statement that we should “trust, but verify” is something the American people have forgotten. Our coins have it right: “In God we trust.” Congress has been gutless under King George. Do not hold your breath for Congress to act or cut war money and bring our soldiers home from Iraq.

For victory, we would need a bigger force, and thus a draft would be required and more taxes to pay for the war. In plain English: put up or shut up and enlist in the military if you want victory in Iraq.

New law could help housing

To the editor:

Early this year, New York’s U.S. Congressman Maurice Hinchey and Senator Chuck Schumer supported the “Recovery Rebates & Economic Stimulus for the American People Act of 2008” (H.R. 5140). The President recently signed into law this $150 billion plan, which is aimed at providing economic stimulus through rebates, incentives for business investment and an increase in conforming and FHA loan limits.

The housing component to the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 will be particularly helpful to New York consumers, by including provisions to temporarily raise the conforming loan limits for the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac to as much as 125 percent of the median home price in an area. For our region, that means an increase to $271,050. In high-cost areas, the limits will jump to as much as $729,750.

The critical measure will assist struggling homeowners and the severely distressed housing finance arena by immediately infusing liquidity into the nation’s mortgage market. In fact, according to the National Association or REALTORS®, increasing conforming loan limits will result in as many as 500,000 refinanced loans and could help reduce foreclosures by as much as 210,000. In addition, over 300,000 additional home sales could be generated, housing inventory will be reduced and home prices will be strengthened by two to three percentage points.

Cheers to Representative Hinchey and Senator Schumer for standing up for what they believe in and fighting for their constituents. Voting in favor of the “Recovery Rebates & Economic Stimulus for the American People Act of 2008” (H.R. 5140) is a vote to keep the American dream alive here in New York.