Sunday, July 11, 2010

Letters to the Editor

The following are two letters printed in The Oregonian, verbatim with no changes, edits or personal comments. To paraphrase the now tired expression, "they are what they are."


Help me out, GOP (July 9)
I have been a strong supporter of the Republican Party my entire life. I was very disappointed when I read that my party was responsible for filibustering the Senate jobs bill.

I have been unemployed since Aug. 4, 2009. I have not been sitting around on my sofa eating bonbons and watching TV since. I have a personal website advertising my resume, www.hiresherry.com. I'm advertising my website on my car. I've been on the news and the radio to promote myself and my website. I search the job boards and newspaper classified ads daily. I'm working very hard to find another job.

I am still unemployed after almost a year, and it is very depressing. The unemployment check I receive each Wednesday is only half of what I was earning when working full time. I feel hopeless some days when all I receive is more rejection e-mails and letters from employers.

I do not understand why we can pass a massive health care bill, dump money into the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and send money to other countries when a disaster hits, yet our government cannot help its own. I know I am not alone in my disappointment over the jobs bill, and I hope that the government will not turn its back on its constituents.

SHERRY CALLAHAN
Eugene



The party line (July 10)

Sherry Callahan (Letters, July 9), a "strong supporter" of the Republican Party her "entire life," is now unemployed and disappointed that the party has been filibustering the Senate jobs bill, which would extend unemployment benefits and preserve some existing jobs.

Since the Republicans' position on the jobs bill is consistent with the party's past positions on unemployment and jobs, apparently this position was acceptable to Callahan -- even laudable -- as long as she was not one of the unemployed. It is this kind of selfishness that the Republican Party has always counted on as it opposes legislation to benefit those in need.

Sorry, Sherry -- you got just what you voted for.

BARRY BENNETT
Southeast Portland

2 comments:

Unknown said...

From the Oregonian comments section:

Hey BARRY BENNETT, Sherry Callahan's predicament must have you pleased because she is a Republican is sort of sick. Regardless of her party affiliation and who she voted for the simple fact that both Oregon senators are Democrats nullifies your argument. As far as the Republicans go they are merely trying to stop spending money we don't have. Obama has stuck in the hole and keeps us there. I suppose you blame the huge unemployment numbers on Bush. No way, you won, your guy has had almost two years to do something positive and has repeatedly failed.

barryshap said...

Wouldn't you--

I am not Barry Bennet. As I wrote, I merely copied two letters to the editor at the Oregonian, with no editing or comment of my own. By mistaking me for the letter-writer, you have assumed I am a Democrat-- something, coincidently, I will proudly admit to. And, "as far as Republicans go, they are merely trying to stop spending money we don't have" doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what Republicans are doing. But I will save that rant for another occasion.