McKinley wasting taxpayers' money

Editor:

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Our representatives in Congress should be good stewards of our tax dollars. Our elected officials should work to ensure that government spending benefits the public interest. Since taking office in 2011, Congressman David McKinley has proven that he believes in extravagant spending of our tax dollars if it serves his own best interests, not those of the people of West Virginia.

In 2011, McKinley was the fourth-highest spender in the U.S. House of Representatives on franked mailings, or unsolicited mass mailings sent to constituents on the taxpayers' dime. These are not ordinary letters to constituents, with a few paragraphs about an issue of concern. These are glossy, full-color mailings, often several pages long and filled with pictures of the congressman. In my opinion, they are pieces of campaign literature meant to ensure re-election.

While running for Congress in 2010, McKinley criticized out-of-control government spending. His campaign website in 2010 read "David McKinley believes that it's wrong to abuse taxpayer money by funding campaign-style 'constituent' mailings and phone calls during election years." He even promised to sponsor legislation placing strict restrictions on constituent communications. Now we've learned these remarks were empty promises. The most recent report of House disbursement records available shows that as of March 31, McKinley had spent $312,000 on mass mailings.

McKinley has made clear he isn't concerned about wasteful spending by members of Congress. He even voted against cutting the budget for spending on constituent mass mailings by 10 percent when the House debated the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for 2013. Since taking office, he's voted to cut spending on valuable programs that benefit West Virginians, including Head Start, free and reduced-lunch for schoolchildren, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. But he refused to cut spending on franked mass mailings that his constituents did not request.

After running against wasteful spending, McKinley's spending on campaign-style propaganda is evidence of hypocrisy. I won't be voting for him this Nov. 6.

Gary L. White

Petersburg

Poor economy belongs to Obama

Editor:

No one person is to blame, Republican or Democrat. Every new incoming administration has to deal with the negative pitfalls left behind by the exiting administration, some worse than others. After four years of failed policies, an almost trillion dollar failed stimulus resulting in unemployment in this country on track to being the worst jobs record of any sitting president in the modern era, you can't continue to spend and blame. Obama owns our failed economy to this point. God bless whomever wins this presidency now or in 2016. The current administration will be exiting the White House leaving behind an economy this country will spend decades trying to dig out of.

Joe Ramirez

Cross Lanes

Fifth-grader urges everyone to vote

Editor:

It is a fact that most people in America that can vote, don't. I really don't understand why not, because it is an important thing. My name is Eli Brock, a student from George Washington Elementary in Mrs. Lyons' fifth grade, and I want to encourage people to vote. Some people don't vote because they don't think it's important. Well, I think they should vote because their vote could determine who runs our country!

If some people don't vote, the wrong leader could be chosen, and the country could have problems. Like, say a president worries more about defense than education, then he would put most of the money in defense and less in education. Then, the children of America couldn't get a good career and they would have a bad life. So that is why I want everyone to vote on Nov. 6. That way the right leader will be chosen.

Eli Brock

George Washington Elementary School

Eleanor

Student asks voters to cast ballots

Editor:

I think that everyone should vote for either President Barack Obama or Gov. Mitt Romney on Nov. 6. I really think that we need to vote because all of our votes count.

In our classroom survey, only 28 percent of the 90 people we polled said that they would vote in the 2012 election. I personally think that we all should help to get that number up to 100 percent. It's our right and responsibility to vote. Remember that we had to fight for this privilege so we should all exercise this right.

I am a 10-year-old male student in George Washington Elementary in Mrs. Lyons fifth-grade class. I can't wait for eight years to pass so I can vote. It will make a difference. Until then, please vote. Thank you for your time.

Henry Patton

George Washington Elementary School

Eleanor