Financial crisis

“This is an open letter to the dean and faculty of the School of Business at the College of William & Mary: The president Monday called this the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. The House of Representatives rejected the proposed solution, primarily because constituents called their representatives and told them they are against this so-called bailout of the finance people on Wall Street. Is it really a bailout? You are professionals who are paid to teach economics and finance, and you are paid by us, the people of this Commonwealth. You had a fantastic opportunity in front of you to do your job, educate us, help us to advise our representatives and help the economy of this country. You sat back in your ivory towers and ignored the crisis and your part in it. Your marketing people are equally to blame. Why haven’t you made these suggestions to your administration? Or is educating the community and improving Town and Gown ties not worthy of your marketing efforts? A good public presentation on the history of this crisis and the possible ways we can get out of it, along with a Q&A session afterward, is what is needed. Williamsburg has many retirees who live off their investments. Some of us might be so thankful of your efforts that we might show our appreciation with financial support. Please do your job.”

Count your blessings

“Having recently returned from one of our two war zones, I am amazed to see the topics people are crying about. A sand sculpture at Virginia Beach? You should be glad you had the freedom to go see it. People complaining about the citizens group trying to save taxpayers money as the WJC School Board builds more architectural works of art that don’t make kids any smarter. We should applaud anyone who questions the spending of hard-earned tax dollars when not everyone has kids in school. If these parents feel they need all this fluff, then they should break out their checkbook and pay extra. I am sure if James City tried to spend money on something these folks did not use, they would be the first to have a fit about the costs. I wish people would take time out of their day to think about the troops who every day make true sacrifices away from their families and don’t get a chance to see sand sculptures or watch their tax dollars wasted by government. I applaud every one of our armed forces and thank them for their service.”

Illegal immigration

“My husband and I have been looking for homes to buy for cash for family members in California. We looked in Monterey, Salinas, San Diego, Stockton and called real estate agents. We were asked if we would purchase REOs, which are bank-owned properties. We agreed and received stacks of information about such houses. Why has so much property in California been repossessed? After five months, we have found that most of the properties were owned by illegal aliens. California is one of the biggest states for foreclosures. We also looked at property in Phoenix and Las Vegas. Half of those subprime loans went to illegal aliens. We found that they did not need to give their Social Security number, income, etc. That’s the dirty little secret that Congress doesn’t want us to know.”

Water issues

“The water at the York Head Start that children drink looks like the water Edward Woodley showed in the Sept. 27 article. That needs to be checked into as well.”