Letters

'Ludicrous — But Have Your Say'

To suggest that a Pres. Al Gore "would have apologized to Bin Laden for having the Trade Towers in the way of the planes and paid reparations to the families of the hijackers," as Brother William A. Miller did in his March/April letter, is ludicrous. Al Gore and the people who voted for him love their country just as much as George Bush and the people who voted for him. Gore served in Vietnam, in the army, during the war; Bush cannot say that.

Nevertheless, I compliment Public Employee for allowing Brother Miller to give his viewpoint. By publishing it, you demonstrate the greatness of AFSCME. We are a big-enough union to tolerate diversity of opinion among our members.

Daniel Bednar
Local 3015 (Council 61)
Fort Dodge, Iowa

Buy Life Insurance

I'm glad Timothy Heyden had a positive experience with Social Security survivor benefits (Letters, March/April). I did not. My father shot and killed himself in December 1957. My mother, brother and I received a meager benefit of $240/month. We lived dirt poor for the next 10 years. Only after working for a Ford auto plant, represented by the UAW, was I able to get through college and escape poverty.

If you want your kids to escape poverty, buy adequate life insurance. If you don't believe me, contact the Social Security Administration and find out how much your widow and kids will get if you die prematurely.

Tony Gregory
Local 2831 (Council 75)
Eugene, Ore.

For Arctic Drilling

With respect to the May/June letter opposing Arctic drilling for oil, I would like to add my two bits as a retired highway engineer. The oil available there is artesian and low in sulfur and can be used at any refinery, and the drilling would also provide natural gas for home heating. Using that oil would give employment to Alaskans, while extracting it would not disturb the tundra because the oil line is above ground. The environment in the areas around the pipeline is protected. So are the animals there, so the line can be permitted to run at full capacity.

It is time politicians kept their noses out of this business.

Paul Pasewalk
Retiree Chapter 9
Meridian, Idaho