COLA and teacher retirees

In reference to James Christy’s Aug. 23 letter, “COLA and federal retirees,” I must include some additional thoughts:

Be thankful you retired as a federal government employee with superb benefits, rather than as a Texas public school teacher.

Teacher retirees are at the bottom level of this triangle. We fall beneath the Employee Retirement System, which includes all state of Texas employees. The Texas Legislature decides the fate of all TRS employees. Public school teacher retirees have not received a raise since 2001. The word COLA doesn’t even exist in our vocabulary, so it seems. However, insurance premiums and co-pays affect us, too.

All retirees, including classroom teacher retirees, have trouble surviving. I think almost all the teacher retirees would welcome the retirement package of any federal government employee.

Dana D. Phillips, Waco

Dairy farm injustices

Milk and all dairy products that we enjoy so much do not come without a sacrifice. The only way a dairy cow can produce milk is if she gives birth to a calf.

In some factory farms, where the newborn calves are intended for veal, they are immediately tied into crates so small that they cannot turn around. A few weeks later, they are often too weak or sick to walk to the slaughterhouse. Their little knees buckle and they fall. Right now in America, there are no regulations to ban slaughter of downed veal calves. Please call or write Secretary Tom Vilsack at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and ask him to amend the regulations to stop slaughter of downed veal calves, and enforce the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, which prohibits animals from being slaughtered while conscious.

Lene Harris, Somerville, Tenn.

Don’t blame George W. Bush

I am absolutely disgusted with all the lies and attacks by this administration and this Democratic-led Congress. Blaming President George W. Bush is almost as asinine as the current policies. The facts don’t lie, but politicians sure do.

Bush inherited an economy that was skidding into recession. Much of the budget surplus was already evaporating before Bush was sworn in. Instead of whining incessantly about what he inherited, Bush went to work and proposed policies that triggered the kind of sustained growth that saw the deficit fall to 1 percent of the GDP by 2007.

Under Bush, America saw six years of uninterrupted economic growth and a record of 52 straight months of job creation that produced more than 8 million jobs. During the entire Bush presidency, the unemployment rate averaged 5.3 percent. We saw labor-productivity gains that averaged 2.5 percent annually — a rate that exceeds the averages from the ’70s to the ’90s. Real after-tax per capita grew by more than 11 percent. Real GDP grew by more than 17 percent.

In 2007, Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats took over Congress. I have never seen an administration and a Congress work so blatantly for unions, big business and special interests at the peril of the American people.

Butch Miller, Robinson

United or divided we stand?

I saw a bumper sticker that said “United we stand.” I know the full phrase of “United we stand, divided we fall.” Reading the Tribune-Herald opinion pages and watching various TV news programs, I think we are slowly headed toward the latter.

Politicians are developing tightknit groups on both sides of the aisle that allow very little room for compromise or even listening to what the other side is saying. It’s even spread to the populace. Why does it have to be one way or the other? Why do we have to choose left or right? Why can’t we venture together in a new direction where there is a middle ground for everyone?

Jake Myers, Hewitt

Fill the Baylor stands

I think the Baylor Bears are going to have a great team this year. Coach Art Briles has put together a team that complements all the other members.

We need to do our part and fill up Baylor’s stadium at every home game.

Why not let all armed forces members who have been to the war zone in free and also their families? Remember, if it weren’t for them, we would not be enjoying the freedom we have today. Let’s show our appreciation and support.

Go Baylor Bears!

Joe Kocian, Waco