BuzzFlash Mailbag for March 31, 2009

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Subject: Sardonic Letter About Medical Marijuana to NH Governor

Dear Governor Lynch,

Once again left wing extremists are trying to get New Hampshire to join liberal druggie states like California, Maine and Vermont to allow so-called “sick” people to grow and possess marijuana for medical purposes. Should the NH Senate pass HB 648 (already passed the NH House), I urge you to veto this outrageous bill ASAP.

This bill is a poorly disguised attempt to lessen our government’s control over our personal decisions. After all, who should have ultimate control over what goes into your body, you or the government? Passing HB 648 would allow certain “sick” individuals to actually decide for themselves what goes into their own bodies. This is left-wing lunacy.

Our government may not be very competent at regulating banking, or at managing disasters, or at spending our tax dollars wisely, or at much of anything else it does. Time and time again our government has put special interests above the welfare of the American people. But when it comes to protecting us from ourselves, we should trust our government to do what’s in our best interests.

If HB 648 passes, our children might grow up thinking they’re more competent than our government to make personal decisions about drugs. Do we really want to raise kids who can think for themselves when it comes to drugs? We need to set a good example so our kids will know to trust our government, not their own minds, when deciding if a drug is good for them or not. By keeping marijuana illegal, our government sends us a very clear message, “not only are you too stupid to decide what goes into your own body, but if you dare disobey Big Brother and actually decide for yourself, you are a criminal and will be punished.” Our government allows us to ingest tobacco and alcohol, which are clearly more dangerous than marijuana. But safety is not the issue. The issue is control over personal decisions.

If we allow a few “sick” people to control what goes into their own bodies, we will open up a Pandora’s Box of abuse. Soon NH residents who aren’t even sick will want to have control over what goes into their own bodies. Passing HB 648 could eventually lead to keeping government out of all our personal decisions, not just out of our medical decisions. Governor, this is left-wing lunacy.

We in the “live free or die” state can’t allow a few “sick” people to decide what goes into their own bodies. Healthy New Hampshire residents might wake up from their comas and realize that marijuana prohibition for any adult is a blatant violation of the very essence of our state motto. Making criminals out of NH residents who simply put something into their own bodies (sick or not) mocks the very concept of “living free.” If you don’t have sovereignty over your own body, you most certainly are not living free.

Governor, I urge you to ignore a poll showing 71% of NH residents favor medical marijuana. If our federal government says NH adults are too stupid to decide what goes into their own bodies, who are we to object? Just because the federal government would lose billions of our tax dollars if marijuana were legal, doesn't mean they aren't looking out for our best interests.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder recently stated he wouldn’t harass states passing medical marijuana laws. But as leader of the “live free or die” state, you must send a clear message to all NH residents who think they should be able to control what goes into their own bodies. Governor, please veto this bill (if the NH Senate is dumb enough to pass it). We certainly don’t want the rest of the nation to think we New Hampshire folks take our state motto seriously.

Carmen Yarrusso

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Subject: deja vu

The current financial crises are nothing new. Republicans engineered the Great Depression the same way they've set up the forthcoming one: pour billions into the market to inflate values, then yank all the money out simultaneously to produce a crash. During the panic, buy up all the distressed businesses and assets at pennies on the dollar, and leave the working classes to start again from scratch. After a couple of generations, when the workers have gained some wealth and assets, repeat the procedure.

A BuzzFlash Reader

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Subject: Obama vs UAW

No, he isn't correct in demanding more from the auto industry. If you can't tear up CEO bonus contracts then you can't tear up union contracts. I heard him compared with Reagan and the Air Traffic Controllers this morning and I tend to agree. If the UAW should strike, I think Obama will do some union busting. You can't say that middle-class wages have gone stagnant, and then claim they need to give in more. He seems to think that giving us a break on buying a new GM car and honoring guarantees will cut it. You can't buy a car if your wages are stagnant, and, also, what does he plan to do about the mortgages of GM and auto workers if they have to give in more?

He thinks we are going to continue helping him out by taking more and more cuts and seems to think we will still be able to afford cars or healthcare. He is ripping up retiree contracts right and left. Then he will make us pay more for healthcare on his GOP leaning healthcare. He is going to give HMOs a pass.

I know I promised to try to lay off him for a while, but I can't pass on this.

You need to either call the comment line, which I just did or send him an e-mail which I am about to do.

Karen Webb
Moore, OK

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Subject: Note to David Letterman

Mr. Letterman,

I am a big fan of you and The Late Show. I rarely miss your show, and I make a special point of watching your opening monologue even if I cannot watch the entire show for some reason. However, I WILL NOT be watching your show Tuesday night because I understand one of your guests will be Mr. Bill O'Reilly. In my view, the attraction of David Letterman is FAR OUTWEIGHED by the PUTRID STENCH of the pathetic Mr. O'Reilly.

In addition to Mr. O'Reilly's well-documented history of sexual harassment, sexual perversion and as a No-Nothing Bully, he has recently added STALKING YOUNG WOMEN to his disgusting repertoire. Bill O'Reilly is just another Right-Wing Blowhard who doubles as a pathological liar with a large following of apparently mindless Moron Americans.

I hope you enjoy your visit with this Poor Excuse for a Human Being but, to me, you diminish yourself and your show in the process. I certainly will not be watching tomorrow night. Perhaps I will rejoin you in the future, but frankly I doubt it. If you choose to meet with PIGS like O'Reilly, don't be surprised when you start to STINK.

Thank you for your consideration.

M.L. Baxter
Dover, Ohio

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Subject: Empty Promises on Car Warranties

Hello, Representative Inslee and Speaker Pelosi.

I posted this note on the Whitehouse web site, FYI:

I watched your assertion that the U.S. government will stand behind car warranties, and I hear as well reports of tax incentives to buy new automobiles.

Let me be among the first to point out that the Emperor Has No Clothes. If the extensive infrastructure of the automobile industry is allowed to collapse, along with it will go the network of manufacturers who make car parts, and the dealerships that provide manufacturer's warranty repairs to automobiles.

If there are no parts and no operating dealership repair facilities, how is your promised warranty guarantee to be fulfilled? The challenge is similar to the one I would face in having repairs done for my Packard, Hudson or Nash. I do not find local dealerships for these cars in my phone book.

Your promise that warranties will be honored and supported is an empty one. I think this will become apparent to anyone who takes five minutes to really think about it.

What's Plan B?

John Williford

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Subject: Amazing economic fix--now we're talking!

[forwarded message]

Economy solution ... Now you're talkin!

This was an article from the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper. The Business Section asked readers for ideas on “How would you fix the economy?” One guy nailed it.

Dear Mr. President, Patriotic retirement: There’s about 40 million people over 50 in the work force; Pay them $1 million apiece severance with stipulations: 1) They leave their jobs. Forty million job openings. Unemployment fixed. 2) They buy new American cars. Forty million cars ordered. Auto industry fixed. 3) They either buy a house or pay off their mortgage. Housing crisis fixed.

The above information has been forwarded to me in several emails. Now I am an 86-year old grandmother and perhaps getting a little senile; but if our government paid 40 million people $1 million apiece, wouldn't that be $40 TRILLION dollars......and how would that fix our economy?

A BuzzFlash Reader

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Subject: A Practical Approach To Bringing About The Change We Can Believe In

"Specifically?"

"A mass uprising"

"Initiated how?"

"Online."

"Why online?"

"That's where everyone is."

"And the word that's to get out online?"

"Something like, 'Beginning on April 15 (tax day) everyone who's mad as hell & wants to have a say in what sort of world is to stand outside his/her residence at 6:00-6:30 pm, holding up a handmade sign that says 'Yes We Can & Right Now.'"

"For how long are these vigils to take place?"

"Until President Obama & the Democratic Congress cave to our demands."

"Will they even know what we're up to?"

"No way they won't, because after a couple of weeks of such daily vigils, the joyous and peaceful street scenes unfolding will mesmerize our nation."

"And who will lead said uprising?"

"All who participate in it."

"Based on?"

"One equals one."

"And then what sort of world?"

"It'll be up to us."

A BuzzFlash Reader

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Subject: Best idea?

Dear Mr. President,

Patriotic retirement: There’s about 40 million people over 50 in the work force; Pay them $1 million apiece severance with stipulations: 1) They leave their jobs. Forty million job openings. Unemployment fixed. 2) They buy new American cars. Forty million cars ordered. Auto industry fixed. 3) They either buy a house or pay off their mortgage. Housing crisis fixed.

DUH ... 40 million x 1 million = 40 TRILLION END OF THAT IDEA.1,000,000 all 6- 0's all have to be placed behind the 40,000,000. The first 000 makes it 40 billion and the next 000 makes it 40 TRILLION. GET IT?

A BuzzFlash Reader

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Subject: Mid East peace making and electability

Reading the verbose lengthy New Yorker piece 3/30/09 brought back a deja vu. I can recall 3 instances a, the contract on America b, Bush the first ouster and c, Jimmie Carter loss to Reagan. I think we are in danger of confusing being Man of the Year (Time Magazine) with popularity.

A BuzzFlash Reader

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Subject: Why Is The Media Pandering to People Trying To Compare Banking To Auto?

It sickens me to say this but people who are trying to compare the bank industry with the auto industry are trying to compare apples to oranges.

If banks go down and they are not able to lend money or provide credit to anyone, then who in the heck will even be able to buy a car?

That's why dealing with the banking system is different and far more delicate than dealing with the auto industry. Why is it that the media is feeding into this “AIG-like” populist outrage, instead of explaining this simple concept to people and then letting them decide? You would think we would have learned our lesson with this.

Please start doing your jobs and stop trying to make news instead of reporting it. Our country needs you!

Dee Evans
Dallas, Texas

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Subject: Forced merger of Chrysler and Fiat

I sent the following to President Obama's website:

I see the following text in a NYT piece on your ultimatum to the auto industry:

Speaking a day after the White House pushed out the chairman of G.M., Mr. Obama said Chrysler has been instructed to form a partnership with the Italian automaker Fiat within 30 days as conditions for receiving more government aid. I'm guessing such discussions between Chrysler and Fiat have been on-going, and that you didn't select this requirement out of thin air.

Chrysler had a foreign partner/owner in Mercedes, which bailed out. Current ownership, as I understand it, is American, but not grounded on industry professionals.

Looking about the U.S., I do not see Fiats. There is a reason for this. I don't see any financial or technical advantage from a merger between one of our major automobile companies and a foreign company with the stature of Fiat.

Forgive the emphasis, but what the hell are you thinking?

John Williford

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Subject: What Do the Khmer Rouge, Pinochet and Bush Have in Common?

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2009/03/what-do...

Also:

Real Journalism Versus "Professional Journalism":

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2009/03/real-journalism...

George Washington
California

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Subject: Progressive? Not so much.

I am weary of the diatribes against Obama and his method in what is supposed to be a progressive Website.

It will not be much longer before I stop reading BuzzFlash because the lack of support or in-depth analysis of Obama's plans and lack of patience for his time-line.

The huge amount of crap this country was left by the thuggish Bush regime and their cronies is an overwhelming job that will take some time and far more intelligence than many of his "progressive" attackers could pull together if they pooled all their collective "knowledge."

BuzzFlash is letting itself be gutted by vitriol. Damper the destructive criticism and let us see more in-depth understanding and analysis of what the President that most of us elected is trying to do.

Christopher Lawrence
Spokane

[BuzzFlash Note: You might find Glenn Greenwald's discussion of Obama support vs Obama criticism worthwhile.]

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Subject: There's Good New & There's Bad News

"The bad news?"

"President Obama & the Democratic Congress are selling us out."

"And the good news?"

"It's not up to them, the what sort of world."

"Who's it up to?"

"Us."

"Based on?"

"A mass uprising."

"Anything else?"

"One equals one."

A BuzzFlash Reader

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