MERIDIAN — Vision of hope



    A year ago President-elect Obama asked us to envision a better world. And, he asked us to envision a better tomorrow. The, he asked for grassroot campaigns to better this nation and this world.

    Much to my imagination, I began to see a world liberated from our liberal liberties that leaveneth the whole earth. I envisioned a nation with the audacity to change from its outrageous freedoms that contaminate the world. In this vision, no longer will our animal culture be broadcast or transmitted to conservative parts of the world. No longer will our West Coast be an axis of decay that’s spreading globally. No longer must our soldiers ferociously terrorize the wrong people in order to keep us safe at home in our filthy freedoms. Yes we can! We, the people, can abolish these “blue state” freedoms that taint our flag, constitution, and nauseate the world. We, the diverse people, can eliminate freedom of the states before they cause catastrophic divisions. Let democracy ring!          

    I have a dream of a nation judged not by her unclean character, but by her true colors. In this dream, young men and young ladies, black and white, brown and gold, will make a stand against our anti-Christian culture, and make tea parties of our anti-God freedoms that we impose on them to preserve. I can visualize our youth proudly refusing to acknowledge and protect these ungodly liberties, even in the face of persecution. Standing united with these anti-God liberties, we will certainly fall. Separated, we stand tall. The dark days of our loyalty to these freedoms will become a sad chapter of our past. We shall arise from this sea of liberties and be delivered from their bondage. We will overcome, nonviolently. The sky is the limit. We shall fear no evil marching through this valley of abomination! I can picture the other side of the mountain, and the sea! And I say to myself “What a wonderful world this will be! Glory, Glory, What a wonderful world this will be!!”



Bruce McGee                                                               Meridian

 

 

Something’s gone wrong



    A week ago you published an opinion (letter) in this section which somewhat chastised the Mayor of Meridian for not pushing forward the Threefoot hotel project. I suggest this structure was conceived and born as a privately owned building and should be restored by the same means. A Nanny Government which does all for everyone, such as taking care of the funding of unwanted buildings is the same government which takes care of funding unwanted pregnancies.           

    Something has gone bad wrong with the direction of private investment in Meridian as many fine places which were privately held and on our tax rolls are now the bastard children of the city. Here’s a casual list. The Union Station, The Riley Center; The Kress Building, Woolworths; Temp. City Hall offices, and of course the Threefoot Building and there are many more which forces me to evaluate and reflect upon the nursery rhyme which reads: There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She has so many children and knows not what to do! The restoration of old cars, buildings etc. are “Playthings for the Wealthy”. Nightmare and Money Pit are commonly used terminology in the world of restoration especially when money is an object, as are our tax dollars which must be managed and spent prudently.



W.E. Bill Heidelberg                                                                                                     Meridian

 

 

Thank you, Meridian College



    On behalf of my family, I want to thank the good people of Meridian. When my son and his family were returning from Washington (DC) after the Thanksgiving holiday, their car broke down on the Interstate, 30 miles from Meridian about 8:30 p.m. With their three children under five years of age, they called me and were in a panic. However, the highway patrol ferried the family to a local hotel where they were taken care of nicely. Although I’m active duty in the U.S. Navy and stationed in Texas, my command authorized me to drive and pick them up the next day. A Meridian towing company towed the car to America’s Transmission on Eighth Street, where Randy was so generous to assess whether he could fix their transmission and allowed the car to be parked there without charge. My son’s wife needed the sticker in the car window for her college parking when the semester started in January, and Randy mailed it right away-again without charge. Finally during this last Federal holiday, my son and I rented a car-dolly in Meridian and towed the vehicle back to Texas. All during this effort, the people of Meridian were terrific and I would like to express our appreciation to numerous individuals who assisted us.  Thank you again.



Blake Mihara                                                                                           Tom Mihara                                                                                                   Converse, Texas

Just not for ‘that’ healthcare reform

 

    I’m writing in response to a letter to the editor December 27th from a Mr. Terry Lynch. His criticism of the rich and greedy Republicans has already been addressed by Bill Marcy in a subsequent letter. Mr. Lynch’s assertion that the Republications were not for healthcare reform is mistaken, they are just not for “that” Healthcare reform. The majority of Americans are not for the Dems healthcare proposal. The recent Republican victories in Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts speak to that point. President Obama says that the current Medicare and Medicaid are not sustainable long term. So don’t sustain them. These “free” government programs could offer adequate care but not exotic care unless the recipient has additional insurance. Such changes might include no bypass surgeries on 90 year olds, generic drugs only and a waiver on malpractice suits. Disputes about poor outcomes might be reviewed by a special board containing doctors, lawyers, judges and patient advocates before the ambulance chasers got involved. Other changes that have been proposed include insurance companies selling across state lines, more competition, more tailoring policies for individual needs. A lot has been said about including people with preexisting conditions-no problem it’s all in the math computation, which means everybody’s insurance costs go up. On a practical basis the poor and indigent need basic medical care and no one wants to deny this primary need. Some years ago this was met by the local charity hospital, Matte Hersey. They offered good no frills care at minimal cost. There were wards with beds separated by curtains, much like a military hospital, which was very efficient and less expensive to maintain. There were few private rooms, no flat screen televisions and no pecan pie-which are not medically necessary. We have people in public housing and on food stamps but that doesn’t mean that they should eat prime rib and lobster tail daily or live in a mansion.  What I’m saying is we need to go to a two tier medical system to control cost without wrecking the whole system. The fibbers in Washington tell us we can include millions in into the system with less cost and better service-a child knows better. You can have two but never all three.  Wal-Mart offers a good product and a good price but no service. Your CPA or lawyer offers a good service quality competence but not a cheap price, and so it is with medical care. Much has been said about medical care being a right. How can anything be a right when it is an immediate obligation of another to pay for it. NEED DOES NOT PRESUPPOSE A RIGHT TO ANOTHER PERSONS LIFE. To assert such means that one’s needs are a claim on the product of another’s labor and that means the right to enslave. THERE CAN BE NO SUCH RIGHT. Mr. Lynch talks about the end of life care for his mother and how exploitative it was and how it robbed her family of assets. As with many in nursing homes their assets rate used for terminal care and that’s the way it should be. A person should be responsible for themselves for as long as possible. Some of Mr. Lynch’s vitriol I’m sure is due to the loss of his mom- our hearts go out to him- we only have one of those. And finally I know there are better solutions to the government caused stress in medical care system than have been proposed by the Dems and that will not wreck everything for the goal of egalitarianism.

    Respectfully,                                                                 



 A.P. Carney III

Meridian

 



A few things to ponder



    1. Five or six years ago they built a new power plant in Enterprise at a cost of $50+ million dollars similar to the Plant Sweat Plant in Meridian. They completed the plant with tax exempt status to those involved. Before one volt of electricity was produced, they dismantled it and closed down the project after $50 million spent.

    2. In 2005, 200 acres of land was sold to Shuqualak Lbr. Co. for the building of the Loblolly plant that would add 200 to 250 new jobs to Lauderdale Co. Lauderdale Co. borrowed $10 million dollars to improve the site. That was done with lots of shaping of land like a country club with an 8 ft. chain link fence around it. Now some four years later there are 200 acres of sculptured land with an 8 ft. fence around it with no plywood plant and no industry in sight to use the land.  But this year Lauderdale Co. must raise taxes to repay the $10 million borrowed as per “The Meridian Star”.

    3. The Threefoot Project: After Mr. Lala offered to build a 5 star hotel at his own expense in downtown Meridian our local officials rejected Mr. Lala’s offer and chose to do the Threefoot project and all seemed to be settled. But the project has come to a halt and as per “The Meridian Star” and has asked for $6.6 million to complete the first phase of the project. (New taxes)

    4. New Power Plant, Kemper Co. (Don’t hold your breath) or maybe you better hold your breath. Coal power plants in other parts of the country are having emission problems.

                                                                                                                 J. Terry Plummer

Meridian