On Your Mind is the Herald/Review’s telephone opinion line and is intended as a public forum for our readers. Comments represent the opinions of callers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the newspaper or any specific knowledge that we have. Readers may share their opinions by calling 458-0332, or by e-mail to svhoym@transedge.com or regular mail at 102 Fab Ave., Sierra Vista AZ 85635. Please keep comments less than 90 seconds. Comments are edited.

March 4

The financial pages warn almost daily of an economy that may be downshifting into a real crisis. But if past performance is to be a guide, Bush himself won’t go into crisis mode until it is way too late. His White House all but ignored the threats of a looming terrorist attack in the months before 9/11. The president’s response to the urgent entreaties from weather forecasters that a killer storm of potentially historic proportion was approaching the Gulf Coast was a shrug — and even after Katrina hit, Bush seemed to be clueless about the depth of devastation and human suffering. Had enough of the            “compassionate conservative?”

Helen Hayes says it all about restaurant inspections in Monday’s Herald/Review. I, for one, agree with her completely. I don’t know about the men’s restrooms, but too many women are messy in restrooms. Restaurants in general need surprise inspections of their food preparation areas, and definitely need more training and supervision of new workers. Does anyone every wonder why restaurants in this town are constantly either being bought out, taken over or going out of business without notice? It’s time for us all to plant gardens and orchards if we want to eat by the time our grandkids run things. Higher taxes, we know you’re a comin’ in 2009.

As I was reading Diana West’s interesting March 4 commentary, “Obama’s truthiness about Farrakhan,” this sentence really caught my eye: “Just last year, Wright’s church, known for a creed aptly described as black separatist, bestowed on Farrakhan the Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Trumpeteer Award.” (Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.) “Wright’s church, known for a creed aptly described as black separatist” is the church to which Barack Obama belongs. I wish the media would investigate further to see if this church is really a “black separatist” church, as West describes it. If it isn’t, that would be important for me to know. If it is, then I would like Barack Obama to explain why he would belong to church that promotes black separatism and still promote himself, as the one, if elected president, who would bring all races together into racial harmony, as he promises in his speeches.

I have a comment on KTAN and the other Cherry Creek radio stations. It would be nice if you would cover more local news, more positive things going on, like high school events, plays, etc. instead of the state news we can get elsewhere. I think local uplifting news would be more fun. Come on Cherry Creek, lighten up.

As I see it, gays should not be allowed to marry, as in marriage per se between a man and woman as it was intended. Instead, why not a legal paper like a car title, or a driver’s license, of a mining claim. Any would be recognized in a court of law. Let’s not desecrate the term marriage as we all know it to be and as the good Lord intended.

A while ago someone asked about the Walton’s TV show. Someone later said you could buy it. The Walton’s is on every day in the wee hours of the day. We tape it to watch later. It’s on Channel 185, the Hallmark Channel, on DishNetwork.

To the person who complained about the roofing contractor who installed shingles incorrectly without taking the plastic strips off the backs of the shingles, I want to inform him that those strips are only on the shingles so they don’t stick together in the bundle. If you look at the location of the plastic strips you’ll see they are located directly under where the shingles are to be nailed. Don’t blame the workers who did this; look at the shingle manufacturer. They didn’t put enough glue on them to adhere together.

 March 5

Wow! Another insert in the newspaper today, “Relish.” It remains my concern that no effort is being made to replace the coupons. In this recession, high gas and food prices it is disheartening to see pieces in the news showing people clipping coupons to help defray the high costs, yet we do not have any to clip. This is an economically depressed area, no big business to speak of except the fort and most if not all shop at the commissary. On top of that fact, we are the minimum wage capital of the 50 states and have to pay a sales tax to the city of Sierra Vista to help support the gas costs of the many city cars. Don’t you think your loyal readership deserves some grocery coupons?

Editor’s note: Effort is being made to bring coupons back into our newspaper, and we know our readers would like them to return.

It is to Barack Obama’s credit that he returned more than $150,000 in campaign contributions from Antoin “Tony” Rezko, presently on trial for alleged campaign contributions fraud and other sundry illegal actions. An accusation of an alleged long association between Obama and Rezko during Obama’s days in Illinois politics argues for a responsible media to investigate the truth or falsehood of this charge. A vetted Barack Obama by the media can be important for people to see if this man is the real thing or just another political demagogue, long on platitudes of false hope and change. A vetted Barack Obama is good for Barack Obama himself because then people can judge fairly if he really is who he says he is. A vetted Barack Obama is good for a political system, all too familiar with its deception and dishonesty. Herein lies a golden opportunity for a responsible media to perform a public service and be a partner to objectivity and truth. Perhaps the Herald can look beyond the silent New York Times and Associated Press for other news sources (i.e. Chicago Tribune, etc.) to keep its readers better informed on this timely subject.

I’d like to comment on Diana West’s commentary in today’s newspaper. It’s one of the most profound and accurate I’ve read in many years. Luckily for her she has a platform that allows her to expand on topics such as this. Also, we are lucky to have such an opportunity as OYM presents to air our thoughts. Freedom of speech is probably our most psychologically gratifying avenue of expression. This avenue is greatly misused by traitors to our country from many vantage points. Thank you Herald for this consideration. In return, you have and will always keep our support and appreciation.

I’d like to express my opinion on the fence and illegal workers situation. The workers I have observed are good for us. They are doing good work conscientiously and under the stress of uncertainty regarding their future. We really do need such as the majority of them are. We need to mandate their employers to document their presence. We have too many criminal elements and slothful people who are our parasitic citizens. We punish by expelling the good ones and not prosecuting and expelling the bad ones. The tunnel rats are the most criminal of all. More drugs come in this way as well as enemies of our country. When we wake and realize we sent back the good workers and they’re not replaced with our own we will kick our butts from a conscientious standpoint.

How much longer are Bush and his buddies and our do-nothing Congress going to allow the rape of our populace by the very prosperous oil fraternity? Can you imagine $400 billion net profits last year? Why didn’t the government cut them back a bit, say to $200 billion, thereby reducing our gas cost down to $1.50 per gallon from $3 or more per gallon? What a predicament. Our great grandchildren will still be paying for this mess.

 Now that our homes have been overinflated in excess value by 13 percent, I guess that will allow the Sierra Vista school district to dig even deeper into our pockets. It’s time for a change. Let’s replace our county assessor.

This is regarding Border Patrol Agent Corbett’s trial in Tucson. It stated in today’s newspaper that the Justice of the Peace David Morales from Bisbee claimed he didn’t realize what was going on with the Mexican Consul in Douglas directing the witness on what to say. I find that very hard to believe. Anytime I’ve been in a courtroom the judge is watching the jury and witnesses, keeping a close watch on what’s going on in the courtroom. I believe he did see it and ignored it. Show’s you whose side he’s on in this trial. God bless you, Agent Corbett. I hope you come out good on this trial. And shame on you Morales for saying you didn’t see that.

There are a lot of seniors who don’t file tax returns and would appreciate a tax form number of the stimulus rebate.

This is directed to all the media. Why do they say someone was killed after a car crash? They were killed “in” the crash, not after it. Also, a girl and her grandfather were critically hurt after a house blew up. That doesn’t make sense. And, finally, radio and TV both should stop making movies with doorbells in them that sound like mine.

I must have missed something somewhere along the way but has any investigation gone on with the superintendent and the assistant superintendent with the money missing out of the Sierra Vista public schools? Seems like the whole thing is being dropped. I wonder why. Would you please explain this to us?

In Monday’s paper an OYM caller provided a list of about 20 Republicans. He wanted to know why we reddies, I guess red states, were so proud of them. I could easily develop a list of comparatively the same types on the opposite side of the fence. But rather than do that I’ll answer “What are we so proud of?” Randy Cunningham’s in jail but not withstanding his shortcomings, I’m proud of him as the first ace of the Vietnam War. He risked his life many, many times. Me thinks this caller is a window washer. He only sees dirt on the other side of the window.

March 6

I hope we start building that bypass around Tucson soon. There is a big need to have a safer interstate through this area. I saw another cross on I-10 going to Tucson. What is a human life worth? A new road? I think so and more.

The March 6 Herald editorial, “What was he really seeking?” is timely reading for Gabrielle Giffords. The editorial points out beautifully why she shouldn’t be voting for a hasty withdrawal of our troops from Iraq, undermining Gen. David Patraeus’ successful surge and making it a cakewalk for Iran to move in for a takeover of Iraq once we leave. Giffords and her fellow Democrats should come up for air and face the real world. Giffords should be as skeptical of Iran’s intentions toward Iraq, as the Herald editorial is. As the editorial rightly concluded, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad didn’t recently visit Iraq with friendship in mind.

Again, I heard something flying in the air, with no lights and flying low, coming from the border to the intersection of Palominas and Hereford road, turn around, and go back? What’s up with that? Two times in a month?

The worst decision we ever made was to buy a house in Winterhaven. The board of directors has made this lovely community a very unpleasant  place to live. They ignore the wishes of the residents and the president has gone so far as to ban residents. He and his henchwoman are truly megalomaniacs. We have lived here three years and each board seems to be worse than the one before. We’re leaving as soon as we sell our house.

Looking at today’s newspaper, there’s a couple from Benson getting a brief on a park in my neighborhood. What’s somebody doing 30 miles from Sierra Vista coming down sticking their nose into my park or the people’s park? It really upsets me.