Letters to the Editor 11/12

Stop ruining lives

The governor is planning to lay off more state employees in January. There has to be a better way of saving money other than putting more Californians on the unemployment roll and leaving these people hoping they don’t lose their homes and medical benefits.

This latest pink slipping has been kept very quiet. Neither the governor nor representatives are making any of these plans public. Our representatives should be taking the hit financially, not our hard-working state employees. This needs to stop. No more lives need to be ruined because we can’t spend within our means.

Laura Stewart

San Luis Obispo

Due for an inquiry?

Bob Cuddy is CCCCCCC — Clever, Charming, Capricious, Cunning, Courageous, Critical and Chastising.

He is also Acronymic and Perceptive, but perhaps I am as well.

In his column in the Nov. 1 issue of The Tribune, he advised that the county of San Luis Obispo, a venue of about 50,000, has acronymic organizations whose mere listing covers 21 pages.

Yes, Mom, all the organizations on that 21-page list have more than one person on the county payroll. And no, Mom, no one seems to know what they all do, but they all draw paychecks and accumulate retirement benefits.

Perhaps Supervisor Adam Hill and even some other supervisors could inquire.

That inquiry might reduce county deficits and even speed up getting things done. Remember the answer to the question: “If one man can dig a hole 1 foot wide, 1 foot long and 1 foot deep in one minute, how long does it take to have the same hole, in the same place, dug by 100 men?”

Gerald Goldstein

San Luis Obispo

More differences

Differences. When a liberal hears of the high rate of deaths due to gun violence, she thinks something should be done. A conservative doesn’t see a problem.

If a liberal is a vegetarian, she shares her knowledge of the environmental dangers of the meat industry. A conservative should too.

If a liberal sees a foreign threat, she asks why. A conservative doesn’t care why. If a liberal sees another American down-and-out, she wants something done. A conservative thinks, that’s not my problem.

If a liberal hears a talk show host call for the death of the president, she fears for her country’s sanity. A conservative, hopefully, changes the channel. If a liberal is a nonbeliever, she defends her right to be so. A conservative running for office better not admit it.

If a liberal hears of Americans dying because of a lack of health insurance, she screams, “not in America!” A conservative whispers, “not my problem.”

Christine Ahern

Los Osos