LEO welcomes letters that are brief (250 words max) and thoughtful. Ad hominem attacks will be ignored, and we need your name and a daytime phone number. Send snail mail to EROSIA, LEO, 640 S. Fourth St., Louisville, Ky. 40202. Fax to 895-9779 or e-mail to [email protected]. We may edit for length, grammar and clarity.
Awe, Shucks
I would like to praise LEO for running an article on the Green Hope Environmental Film Festival (April 19 issue). For the past month, Dupont Manual High School’s Environmental Club and U of L Student Activities Board have been organizing a film festival for Earth Week in hope of spreading awareness about the environment one film at a time. The problem was getting the word out because we didn’t have any money to fund advertising and U of L could only spread the word amongst their students and on campus. We called LEO at the last minute, hoping they could mention our incredible line-up of free movies somewhere in the listings of the weekly newspaper. They not only included our project in the listings, but went above and beyond what we asked for: We opened the newly published LEO to find information about Green Hope in the community listings, the movie section and even a short article — all with pictures, captions and a complete time schedule of the films.
I felt so touched that such an organization of people were so committed to helping our student-based group get our message out, and in my opinion, help spread vital knowledge in our city. I wanted to thank them for their amazing work and express my appreciation for helping at the last minute. I hope that Manual’s Environmental Club can look to the LEO for information on environmental events around town and use them as a resource for future projects. I am so proud of this local newspaper and its dedication to good journalism, which offers insight on controversial stories that even the biggest news channels fail to cover. Plus, where else can I find a newspaper filled with a rainbow of culture, including articles and information on local events, movies, music, arts and, of course, the vivacious spirit of Louisville? Thanks for everything!
Anna Isaacs
Online Kudos
I like how your Web site (www.leoweekly.com) is designed ... seems to be well thought out. I like how you have a link to “past issues.” The opinion piece by Ricky Jones, the Message to the People on cruising (April 26 issue), was very good. Thanks for being in Louisville!
Patrick Logsdon
Delayed Karma Still Gets Ya
With the recent developments in gasoline prices and their effect on the already dismal approval ratings of King W., the swaggering little cowboy, I find it ironic that he is being taken down by the same basic cause that defeated Jimmy Carter. In my lifetime, Carter was easily the most honorable and finest person to lead our country, and continues to be so. Unfortunately for him, OPEC realized that they could manipulate the Western world by controlling oil supplies, and that great man ended up with the blame. Now the worst leader in the history of our country is having to pay the same piper — I’m not a religious person, but I would have to say that karma has done a pretty good job on this one. Let us hope that it will cause something better to come.
Steve Morris
Big Oil Bets
Out-of-control gas prices have resulted in unprecedented profits for Big Oil, namely Exxon-Mobil. While these contemporary robber barons pocket billions of dollars for their personal enjoyment, the taxpayers suffer. Recent reports tell of families having to sell their most cherished possessions or go without food just to afford the price of gas. I ask you, where is the justice when that kind of inequality exists in the most affluent nation on the planet?
Congress has proposed a laughable $100 rebate to taxpayers as an attempt to lessen the financial burden. This is problematic on several levels. First, it now costs $50 to completely fill the average gas tank. Therefore, this “rebate” would only cover two fill-ups. Then what? Back to pawning and going without the basics? Second, for most Americans, this money would simply go back to Big Oil. Again, the taxpayer gets punished while the culprit is rewarded. No justice!
A windfall tax on these astronomical profits could help to level the playing field. Such a tax paid by the oil giants would filter back into the community at large and help to lower the price at the pump. The second choice is to put our anti-trust laws to work and break up Big Oil. This would result in competition, and, once again, lower gas prices. Until clean fuels become the dominant choice in this country, these are the best bets for helping the consumer.
Jessica Cresseveur
Da Bomb
The United States and other countries do not want Iran to get a nuclear bomb. I don’t want Iran to get a nuclear bomb, either. The world would be better off if no nation had a single nuclear weapon.
But who are we to tell the Iranians they cannot develop a nuclear bomb when we continue to make newer and bigger bombs? The atom bombs we dropped on Japan in 1945 make us the only nation in the world that has used nuclear weapons on another country. We set the precedent for their use. The insane nuclear arms race, if allowed to continue at its present rate, guarantees worldwide suicidal destruction.
Paul L. Whiteley Sr.
Try Something Different
There’s no hypocrite like a Republican hypocrite.
For decades, state and national Republicans have preached to us about the virtues of lower taxes, less spending and smaller government, even as government has continued to grow with their enthusiastic help. But with the advent of the Bush and Fletcher administrations, matters have gone from bad to absurd. Kentucky’s current state budget stands at a preposterous $18 billion, and the recent federal budget exceeds $2.7 trillion.
As the 2006 session of the Kentucky General Assembly was ending, Gov. Ernie Fletcher and Republican Senate President David Williams (David the Pious) engineered the passage of primary seatbelt enforcement, thereby demonstrating their willingness to sell our personal liberties for 30 pieces of federal highway handouts. Is there a state or federal judge out there with the political courage to strike down this flagrantly unconstitutional seatbelt law?
Maybe it’s time we gave the Democrats a chance at power. Democrats love government and openly want every cent of taxpayer’s money they can get their hands on to waste on their inefficient and unworkable pet-vote buying programs. Republicans are the same, but at least with Democrats, we would be spared the odium of Republican hypocrisy!
Greg Holmes
