Letter to the Editor:

Each day brings another eye-opener in the land of the United States Government. It is hard to keep up with the shenanigans of those in public office.

The number goes up and up for the stimulus packages that are going to be dispersed to corporate America, or should I say global corporate? What starts out to be a stimulus plan to save American middle class, once again is truly aimed at rewarding companies that have greedy employees at the top.

A president, who claimed to believe in change and to promote change, is putting people in his cabinet who do not represent change. They support business as usual for the global enterprises. Is this a surprise to the people in the middle class or below? No! Once again they are being ignored, thrown a bone to keep their mouths shut, and business as usual.

It galls me to see the majority of American citizens being cast aside for profit. It galls me to see the working middle class receiving a twenty dollar a week tax break. Like this action will make our economy secure, while millions more lose their jobs, homes, and are poisoned by the food they eat.

Have you had your taxes audited by the IRS? Do you remember the fear you had in your gut, wondering if you would be taken to jail for an error on your tax form? Or wondering if you would forever be audited for an honest mistake of a few dollars? I know I have. I was once audited, made a mathematical error on my form and received a letter from the IRS, stating I owed another two hundred and something dollars. I was panic-stricken wondering what would happen from then on. We are fed horror stories about people who, once on the list, would forever be audited.

Our president is trying to put people in office who owe the IRS thousands of dollars and not for just a year's worth of mistakes, but several years of mistakes. How does this happen? How is it that the wealthy don't go to jail for tax problems and aren't audited like the little guy? Like Joe the plumber?

Is it okay for our public officials to have a special set of rules and laws for themselves, than the rules they expect the poor and downtrodden to follow? Isn't our country supposed to stand for equality? I say, let them share in the equality of punishment for not following the rules. I want you to think about this, who makes the rules? A large group of lawyers make our rules, rules for themselves and rules for us. I see a double standard here.

It is becoming apparently clear that our new president doesn't have what it takes to make real change. He started with a statement to rid Washington of lobbyists. How can that happen, if he is putting them in office? He wants to create jobs for Americans, but the stimulus package has one billion dollars aimed at job promotion, while hundreds of billions are given to companies. The working middle class will receive about a twenty dollar weekly tax drop, and what about the millions of unemployed? They will continue to be jobless, homeless, and hungry. And the biggest gall of all, is the easing of the requirement for the companies who receive bailout money, to buy American.

So, Mr. President, tell me and the millions of unemployed Americans, where is the change? I don't think you can, I think it is business as usual in the global economy.

- Valerie Gamblin, Cleveland, TN
.