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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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Bring on Batra’s Wisdom
To the editor: Thank you for publishing the scholarly “Now Will They Listen to Ravi Batra?” article (“Prophet of Boom),” Dec. 17, 2008) in Fort Worth Weekly. I would like to express my gratitude to you for illuminating us about the deep and truthful reasons behind the current U.S. economic situation. Your article is so far the best among all the reports I have read regarding the economic chaos. The economy should be for the people and not reserved for a few Wall Street emperors. Please keep writing more on this.
Amit Ghosh
Senior engineer
Shrewsbury, Mass.
To the editor: As citizens of a conservative town in a conservative state, most of us probably are buying into the rhetoric about an economic stimulus package. But I ask you now to put aside politics and your feelings about our new president and look at the facts about the need for this package: We need jobs.
I am an educated professional who up until six months ago enjoyed a six-figure income. I am now in my seventh month of unemployment because my employer (a Fortune 500 telecom company) went bankrupt. Before that, my retirement was obliterated by the stock market crashes. So now I am almost 50 years old, with no income and no retirement. Yesterday I had to resort to selling my jewelry, some of it family heirlooms. It was humiliating and heart-breaking and an all-too-common story.
The president’s stimulus package would create or save up to 4 million jobs in the next two years, avert hundreds of thousands of teacher layoffs, and create hundreds of thousands of “green jobs” while doubling our clean energy production. It immediately makes affordable healthcare available to those of us who are unemployed.
The stuff that’s being singled out for criticism amounts to a tiny fraction of the bill. John McCain’s economic adviser estimates that without the stimulus, unemployment will top 11 percent by 2010, the highest level since the Great Depression.
It’s time to bail out the “little people.” We can’t afford to wait any longer.
By the way — anyone need an experienced product manager? I will work for food.
NaKina C. Talbert
Sachse
Not His First Rodeo
To the editor: Dan McGraw did a very nice job on his article about the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo (“Roped In,” Jan. 28, 2009). It was fair and balanced, with more questions than accusations. I trust our elected leaders will read this article and follow up, because I intend to ask those I know. It must be a long-running sweet deal if two generations of Watts have run it, and now a third generation is involved. I don’t have a horse in the race or the rodeo, but it’s long overdue that somebody looked into a few of these long-standing sweetheart deals to make sure the taxpayers are getting a good deal as well. I speak as a retired taxpayer in a major city with the highest property tax rates in Texas.
You are apparently writing about city property leased at a “below-market” rate here that’s making a lot of money in the process for someone. And for crying out loud, this deal has about 15 years yet to run! By that time we will be into our third Watt — all this while our city council members are hunting around trying to find funding for critical unmet needs in local neighborhoods. We need to have a city Sunset Commission to examine these deals before they are sent for renewal.
This doesn’t take anything away from a nice job these folks seem to do in an outmoded facility, but we are now losing tax revenue when groups go elsewhere, so it’s time to get everyone around the table in the same room and set a better course. And I note that our local daily paper covered part of these partly funded future plans, as they got caught with their pants down again by the Weekly. Keep up the good work.
Jan Fersing
Fort Worth
Mute the Mockery
To the editor: As an alternative newspaper, Fort Worth Weekly was trying to be irreverent in handing out its 2008 Turkey Awards (Nov. 19, 2008). However, your publication stepped over the line by maligning Bishop Kevin Vann for teaching his flock about the impermissibility of supporting pro-abortion candidates. It is appropriate and vital that a bishop instruct the faithful about what the church teaches so they can make informed decisions. In so doing, he neither insulted anyone nor threw a “temper tantrum,” as you described it.
Even worse was your attack on the Eucharist, which you flippantly called “wine and crackers.” Catholics believe the Host is actually the body and blood of Christ, not a mere symbol. To have such a central tenet of our faith mocked in this manner is unacceptable. We are not without humor. Indeed, we enjoy lighthearted jokes at our own expense. However, disparaging the Eucharist is not such a case. We ask that you refrain from this juvenile mockery in the future.
Susan A. Fani
Catholic League for Religious
and Civil Rights
New York, N.Y.
Allergic to Ignorance
To the editor: Thank you so much for the informative article “Eater Beware” (Jan. 28, 2009), by Carey Hix. I was appalled at what is happening right in front of our eyes — I had no idea.
I will be checking food labels very carefully from now on. I may only be one person, but I for one will not be buying anything that I know includes GMOs (genetically modified organisms). I have recently developed food allergies, for the first time in my life, and this might be the reason.
Thanks, Fort Worth Weekly, for caring enough to give us the information to make an informed decision about what we put in our bodies.
Debbie Copeland
Weatherford
Still Biting
To the editor: Thank you for getting the word out on Lyme disease (“Hard Bitten,” Feb. 4, 2009). My entire family has it. (Even the Mayo Clinic has admitted to that after a very, very expensive blood test usually not done by your doctor or clinic due to its cost.) A mere urine test or simple blood test will almost always be negative for Lyme unless you happen to be in Stage III or IV, just prior to total body shut-down.
We were raised in Houston and were hard-pressed to find anyone who would listen to us, much less treat us. After many years, my mother found a doctor, now retired, in Houston who knew exactly what was wrong with her because he too had the incurable disease of Lyme (this was in the 1990s). I say “incurable,” because although I am in remission, when my body is stressed or my immune system is weak from illness, the old Lymie symptoms return. My only avenue has been alternative medicine, because the mainstream Western doctors either don’t care, don’t want to learn about it, or are afraid of the American Medical Association, which has told them that Lyme disease doesn’t exist outside of Lyme, Conn.
One last note: This disease was identified and vectored in Europe in the 1700s. For more information, go to the web site at www.ilads.org.
Robin Berry
Cody, Wyo.
To the editor: The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has convened a review panel to examine whether the society’s Lyme disease guidelines, published in 2006, should be revised or updated based on a rigorous review of the medical and scientific evidence on the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease.
The review panel is initiating a 60-day input period to allow the public to submit information to ensure that all points of view are taken into consideration. There will also be an open public hearing to offer a forum for the presentation of relevant information on the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease.
The 60-day public input period is now open. Information submitted by individuals and organizations must be received by April 3, 2009. Submissions should be e-mailed to lyme@idsociety.org, to the attention of the IDSA Lyme Disease Review Panel.
Tessa McCall
Keller
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