Finger-pointing

Dear Editor:Re: " Roybal-Allard Blasts GOP Budget Buts" (2/17/11) I would remind the Congresswoman that it was not the GOP that added trillions of dollars to the already bloated government spending (debt). It was the Democrats - the House of Representatives, Senate and President Obama did this. I wonder if she has looked at the foolish give-away spending of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) that was supposed to create "shovel-ready" jobs. I saw the figures the other day that it spent over $250,000 for every job the government created. I hear nothing from her regarding the thousands who have lost jobs because President Obama has declared a seven-year moratorium on drilling in the Gulf, overruling a court order. Our government is being very irresponsible not to drill for our own oil. Mexico is drilling in the Gulf and China is drilling off the coast of Cuba. I guess their drilling doesn't pollute but the United States' does. It is most disgusting that she called the "cuts" irresponsible when the Democrats did nothing to stop irresponsible over-spending. Does she consider the hiring of over 200,000 new government jobs and 20,000 new IRS agents, as requested by President Obama, the kind of employment we need to compete in the global marketplace she referred to? She wants the Republicans in the House to take steps to reach an agreement with the Democrats. Is she seeking the same outreach displayed by Sen. Harry Reid, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, President Obama and the Democrats to the Republicans? Roybal-Allard is concerned about the $1.1 billion cuts to Head Start. By third grade, statistics show that children are no further along than those who didn't have Head Start. We need to be more concerned by the large percentage who drop out of high school and junior college, where most entering junior college must have remedial math, reading, English, etc. Then I read the article by Henry Veneracion regarding the new kindergarten law. ("New Law Raises Mandatory Age of Kindergarten to 5," 2/24/11) Now only 5-year-olds may start kindergarten, as younger ones are considered at a disadvantage. However, the younger ones will eventually have two years of pre-kindergarten to prepare them for kindergarten. We now hire more teachers, even though teachers are being laid off because of the legislators' overspending (maybe they need remedial math). Maybe we should have a prenatal class where mothers meditate on their child's education. I believe the problem with most who struggle academically will not necessarily be helped by two years of preschool kindergarten. I think the problem is a parental problem - not more state control. Just love them, discipline them and take an interest in them. -- Elsa Van Leuven, Downey

********** Published: March 10, 2011 - Volume 9 - Issue 47