Single payer will bring down costs

Why do our elected officials turn their backs on us after we, the people, help put them into their current positions to work for us on issues that are important to us?

It would appear that they all — or at least most of them — experience selective amnesia as a result of the elections, whereby they actually forget who in fact got them elected.

It’s not big corporate interests — they are not that big. No, it is the people who elect them, and they should be doing everything in their power(s) to fulfill their obligations to them, not the big corporate interests.

Health care is a large issue and single payer would help to bring costs down. They as well as the big corporations all know this. Why do you think they are fighting against it?

Politicians: Do what’s right for those who elected you. Remeber, another election is always on the horizon. The will of the people can only be trampled on for so long before they will not be silenced any longer.

Scott M. Wilson Sr., Ashland



Ramey-Estep grad policy is criticized

Each year our high schools recognize the accomplishments of their seniors at graduation. This is not only to applaud the students for their efforts but to encourage them to value the education received. This extends to furthering their education, becoming better citizens of their communities, and instilling the importance of education in their future children.

This letter concerns 15 high school students who will not be allowed to participate in their graduation on May 17.

My son is one of these students. Is it because of something he did or did not do? No! He’s completed all of his credits. For the past eight months he’s attended Ramey-Estep High School in Boyd County.

He was scheduled to leave the facility in June, which was bumped up to April because he was not a behavior problem. The director had felt that he reached his potential in treatment.

At Ramey-Estep, my son has made a radical attitude change for the better. My son and his family are grateful for all that the facility has provided. My son has been accepted into a college and is looking forward to his future.

Unfortunately, this institution has taken away a positive part of his past — his graduation.

When the Boyd County Board of Education was notified of this situation, they were too surprised! They were of the understanding that those students with the necessary high school hours were attending the graduation, even if they were sent home early.

However, the graduating policy had been changed to only seniors presently in their program. This is unfair, not only for the students.

If these guidelines aren’t changed then 15 students will not participate in their high school graduation ceremonies. This will continue year after year.

The students need a voice.

Deborah Rains, Nicholasville



Appoint a woman to Supreme Court

As the search for a Supreme Court justice to replace David Souter heats up, political pundits and analysts are talking about what litmus test, if any, President Obama might apply when vetting a nominee. But scientific metaphors are not needed in this situation — basic math skills are.

An early childhood mathematics concept called one-to-one correspondence shows us that President Obama needs to appoint a woman to the Supreme Court. Currently, 51 percent of the country's population is female. Yet only 11 percent of the Supreme Court, or one justice, is female. That is not one-to-one correspondence. With one-to-one correspondence, the members of one group can be evenly matched with the members of another.

My 4-year-old daughter has mastered the concept in preschool. But our country's leaders still seem to struggle with it.

Women are still woefully underrepresented in the boardrooms of major corporations. This despite the fact women make 85 percent of all consumer purchasing decisions in this country. Women hold only 17 percent of the seats in Congress, yet we proclaim to have a representative government. Women represent just 37 percent of full-time daily newspaper staffers and only 15 percent of all Hollywood and radio producers.

Appointing a woman to the Supreme Court will satisfy multiple requirements. It will underscore this country’s new reality of equality for everyone. It will also satisfy President Obama’s criteria of appointing a justice who understands how the law affects the everyday lives of Americans.

Litmus tests might help protect the agendas of special interest groups and activists but they won't help Obama meet his stated objective.

Appointing a woman will.

Liz O’Donnell, American Forum, Washington, D.C.



Coal will be needed for many years

The Independent on May 3 reported that a local company is developing a facility in Greenup County to produce fuel from switchgrass and miscanthus for use in coal-fired electricity generating plants. This is the first such endeavor I’ve heard of in this part of the country. This operation is projected to reach capacity by 2011, employing 200 to 300 people.

According to its 2009 Corporate Sustainability Report, AEP purchased 80 million tons of coal in 2008, which was used to produce 66 percent of their total electricity production. “Green” fuels produced 5 percent.

With these figures in mind, anyone can see that it’s going to take a while for green to catch up with coal. Coal turns our lights on today and will have to be counted on for years to come.

“Green” technology is on the minds of a lot of people nowadays. The “real” green, I believe, is the throwing of dollars by the current administration to anyone who can do anything detrimental to coal mining. This tends to give a new meaning to the Jolly Green Giant, and he isn’t as friendly as he used to be, especially to coal people. Ho! Ho! Ho!

John F. Enyart , Ashland