Our state constitution already is a crazy quilt of patches.

In fact, it’s past changes to the constitution (Measures 5 and 25) that have made it almost impossible for the Legislature to raise funds for the programs we keep telling them we want. Adding yet another patch to the Constitution, this time to fund health care for kids, is not a constitutional crisis. All Big Tobacco cares about is being able to create new nicotine addicts and make billions of dollars off of them. Period.

Andrew Gray

Corvallis

OSU Beaver Bernard deserves respect

I was stunned to read the Beavers Report Card after the UCLA football game and see that the Gazette-Times gave quarterbacks a C- and running backs a C. The team wins or loses together, and I’m not much in favor of breaking down the individual elements this way, but if you must do it, do it well.

Yvenson Bernard was not a part of the problem against UCLA. He had an outstanding game running, receiving and blocking.

The article said “At this point, he has to make more on his own.” Watching the game, I felt that he made a sizeable percentage of those 125 rushing yards on his own, after initial contact by the defense.

Our problem areas were clearly quarterback and special teams. Had they played at the level that Yvenson Bernard played, we would have won that game easily.

I personally would like Yvenson to know how much respect I have for him, and I hope that he won’t be hurt by reading those uninformed ratings. Football fans could see the difference between quarterback play and running back play on Saturday, even if the Gazette-Times could not.

George Fagin

Corvallis

County levy ensures vital health services

We’ll know after Nov. 6 if voters chose to approve Measure 02-64, the Benton County tax levy. We’ll know if they voted to continue protecting the health of our community — especially the very vulnerable in our society.

The responsibility for public health is assigned to the Benton County Health Department, which will receive 12 percent of the total levy or 11 cents of the 90 cents to be assessed for every $1,000 of assessed property value.

The levy must be approved, or the following services of our health department will either be curtailed or discontinued:

• Maternal and child health nursing programs, previously cut from 6 full-time nurses to only a 0.6 nurse.

• Epidemiological studies, critical in tracking diseases and developing statistics to know the health status of our community.

• The school-based mental health management program that provides family case management for children at high risk for abuse, drugs and school failure.

• Communicable disease prevention and control to recognize and prevent outbreaks of disease before they become a widespread problem.

Vote yes on Measure 02-64!

Sheldon L. Wagner

Corvallis

Anti-M50 ad storm a hail of lies, errors

Big Tobacco has been inundating us with ads against Measure 50.

One statement they have repeated many times is that this is the first-ever tax on a specific product. Do they think we are so naive that we don’t consider gasoline in that category?

If they are trying to feed us such a transparent lie can we believe any of their statements? I certainly do not. I shall vote yes on Measure 50.

Ronald Keil

Corvallis

Bush veto threatens child health care

President Bush has presided over six years of budget deficits that included billions squandered on no-bid (and often no-work) contracts for Iraqi reconstruction, and the famous “bridge to nowhere” (in Alaska).

Now The Decider is faced with a proposal that is so outrageous, he’s again prepared to use his veto power: providing health insurance to low-income children.

Don Peterson

Philomath

Democrats, liberals in D.C. are big liars

The big Democrats in Congress (Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer, Richard Durbin and others) well deserve the title of “traitorous liars.” They lie easily and often because their philosophy says that the end (power) justifies the means, and their philosophy also says that lying is OK morally.

They have redefined morality for their own purposes (but not for the rest of us). They get a free pass from the mainstream media on what they say. The media don’t challenge their statements but just accepts, broadcasts and often supports them.

The congressional Democrats are traitorous in their statements they make: demeaning the armed services while those men and women are in harm’s way; speaking against our country in various ways and encouraging our enemies by their defeatism and willingness to give up.

They are far from the patriots they claim to be. Patriotism is love of our country, and they don’t love America. Being unpatriotic doesn’t bother them except for the political implications.

Disgusting congressional Democrat/liberals. Are they your representatives, and are you really OK with their lies and deceit?

Lee Findley

Corvallis

Stop letting Bush mislead our nation

This administration, in its first term, led our country by devious means into an unprovoked invasion of Iraq.

Now, in its second term, it is heading us toward war with Iran. We, The People, must intercept this outrage by calling on Congress to urge the administration to make a strong appeal to the United Nations to convene a conference of all concerned governments, especially those of the Mideast, to seek agreement on a peaceful settlement of all Mideast disputes.

It is time that the United States withdrew as the principal focus in those lands, end the Bush-

Ahmadinejad feud, and remove our troops from Iraq.

Failure by the administration to make such an appeal to the U.N. should make it evident to all that this administration places its arrogance of power above the welfare of the American people and a peaceful world.

Then, perhaps, allegiance of a sufficient number of our representatives will be redirected from the administration to the people, so that a resolution of the problem will be forthcoming.

It is up to the people, not to the administration, to decide the path our country will take. Join me in contacting our representatives in Congress to let them know your wishes.

Mike Wolf

Corvallis