ASHLAND — Questions voters should be asking

With the mid-term elections less than 90 days away and control of the U.S. House of Representatives and perhaps even of the U.S. Senate up for grabs, there are a few basic questions that registered voters should be asking:

(1) Are the Republicans intentionally harming the economy in a last ditch effort to grab control of Congress? They have certainly obstructed virtually every jobs or economic bill and their media consistently overstates bad economic news and minimizes good news.

(2) Why would anyone who has ever been in a labor union vote for a Republican? Republicans feel that unions like “United Steelworkers” are pork-gulping socialist special interests that they would eliminate in a heartbeat if able.

(3) Why would anyone who has ever been a policeman, firefighter or teacher vote for a Republican? Republicans have totally obstructed any aid to the states to keep these folks employed this fall and feel that they with their unions are nothing but a special interest. It took a last-second Senate vote and the recall of the House from recess to save a couple hundred thousand vital jobs.

(4) Why would anyone who receives or ever plans to receive Social Security benefits vote for a Republican?  Republicans try to scare the elderly every time Democrats try to reform Social Security and always at election time while actually working behind closed doors to privatize or eliminate this crucial program that keeps 20 percent of our seniors out of poverty. 5

(5) The economy isn’t improving nearly as fast as we would like but one last question: Do we really want to experiment so soon with the folks who caused all this? 

Vote straight Democratic ticket on Nov. 2 and help to solve the problem.

 Ed Edwards, Ashland



Pull our troops out in 60 days

I hope we were able to read between the lines of Sunday’s interviews with Gen. David Petraeus.

If not, this is what he seemed to say: We are trying to change the religion of the people over there amd their form of government. We need to make them subserviant to us so our wealthy capitalists can reap the harvest of the many mineral rich areas and increase their profits.

We don’t care how many lives are lost, getting rich is the most important thing. As long as we have unemployment in America, we will have many starving poor that will enlist in the military in order to make some money. The fact that we are not honoring their medical benefits is immaterial as long as we don’t have a draft and our royal wealthy don’t have to get drafted.

This illegal war is costing $12 billion per month plus countless lives maimed and lost. President Obama campaigned to end this war. Now we are extending it with excuses from people like House Republican leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and deer-in-the-headlights looking Sen. Mitch McConnel of Kentucky, neither of whom have any solutions, only fairy tales, and have no idea what war is really like or how families feel.

 I think Obama  should pull the troops out in 60 days, I’m tired of hearing “that would be disatrous” and given no reasons why it would be.

Let’s  save lives, money, and repair our own country. Use our troops to protect our own borders.The Arabs have been fighting since time began. Let them fight their own civil war. We need to open up our factories, start producing again and become prosperous.

Ed Peltz, Rush



Ashland team had great run

Mark Maynard wrote a nice article on the Ashland National team that represented our area in the Central Region in Fort Wayne, Ind. The kids had a nice run and will have lots of memories.

Hats off to the team and coaches Steve Minton and Ralph Gilliam. The newly formed league is the result of the efforts of lots of people.

What a nice gesture by all who visited the Lutheran Children’s Hospital in Fort Eayne. As Coach Minton said, “Baseball is not as important as life.”

It was a job well done.

John Gifford, Ashland



Letters invited

Readers are invited to submit “In Your View” letters on public issues. Letters must not exceed 300 words and must include the name, address and telephone number of the author. “Words of Thanks” are limited to 150 words. The Independent does not guarantee a day of publication for letters but makes an effort to publish all letters in a timely manner. The Independent reserves the righ to edit letters for length, spelling, grammar, accuracy and appropriateness of language. Letters that cannot ve verified will not be published.  Questions regarding letters should be directed to John Cannon, opinion page editor, at jcannon@dailyindejcannon@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2649.