Missouri Right to Life thanks Gov. Nixon for not vetoing abortion bill

Missouri Right to Life applauds Gov. Jay Nixon for not vetoing Senate Bill 793 ("Rules on abortion tighten," July 15). In the 2010 legislative session, the Missouri Senate and House took up and passed SB 793, a bill that requires women to be offered the opportunity to view an ultrasound and receive information on the development of her baby (including its ability to feel pain), alternatives to abortion and the father's responsibility under Missouri law at least 24 hours before an abortion.

Mr. Nixon allowed this legislation to become law. In essence, his non-veto is a win for women in Missouri who now will receive critical information before making an abortion decision. Because of Mr. Nixon's decision to allow women to be more fully informed, we believe that more expectant mothers will choose life for their babies. Missouri Right to Life worked hard for several years to pass this legislation and is very pleased to see it become law.

SB 793 also prohibits abortion coverage in insurance exchanges created by the new federal health care reform legislation. We can't stop our federal tax dollars from paying for abortion outside of Missouri, but this legislation will help prevent that from happening in Missouri.

We thank Mr. Nixon and the Senate and House members who supported this life-saving legislation.

Pam Fichter • St. Louis County President, Missouri Right to Life

Brilliant strategy

Regarding "City kids get pool pass" (July 11): Two years ago, Proposition S, which was yet another sales tax increase, was sold to city voters as a half-cent sales tax that would allow the city to put more police officers on neighborhood patrol and meet its obligations to the police and fire pension systems without damaging cuts in public safety.

That turned out to be a brilliant strategy by our city politicians: Get the policeman and fireman on board by telling them it will properly fund their pension and tell the voters you are going to use it to put more police on the streets but once it passes use the money for "free pool passes" and for "backfilling other programs" (whatever that means).

By the way, if you haven't noticed, the funding of those pensions isn't going real well these days. So much for Proposition S solving that problem or the crime problem (there were twelve shootings in 10 hours last Sunday night).

Voters should stop supporting sales tax increases. A sales tax is among the most regressive taxes. Depending on what you are buying, it can be up to 10 percent in the city. And, as we have learned, the money rarely is used for what the proposition states it will be used for.

Michael Szerzinski • St. Louis

Keep jobs in Missouri

Congratulations to Gov. Jay Nixon for offering incentives to Ford Motor Co. to try to keep the Missouri plant open for business ("Nixon gets way on Ford bill," July 15).

As per usual, the GOP says it wants jobs in Missouri, but some Republicans resorted to an all-night filibuster to try to deny incentives to Ford. The GOP apparently has a very short memory. The Ford plant in Hazelwood closed, costing Missouri millions. The GOP should take positive action to keep jobs in Missouri.

Look at Michigan. It offers numerous incentives to corporations to move to Michigan. And it works.

I am tired of hearing "No!" from the GOP. What has the GOP and the Chamber of Commerce done to bring jobs to Missouri? With unemployment in Missouri at more than 9 percent, what exactly does the GOP have to offer?

Bonnie M. Viviano • St. Peters

Leading the fight

Thanks to Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., for standing on the side of the people and voting to rein in Wall Street ("Obama wins as Senate OKs financial overhaul bill," July 16). About two years after Wall Street banks drove our economy off a cliff, Congress finally has taken action, and Ms. McCaskill helped lead the fight all along.

Even after the Wall Street's reckless dealings cost the people of Missouri millions of dollars in lost retirement and college savings, the CEOs of these organizations continued to rake in millions each in salaries and bonuses. Ms. McCaskill, her fellow Democrats, three Republicans and President Barack Obama decided it was time for a new way of doing business.

But Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo., and most of his Republican colleagues stood on the side of big business. They chose large campaign contributions over the well being of their constituents. They chose to continue to allow risky bets that make the rich richer and hurt everyone else.

Jarod Gregory • St. Louis

Driving value

Regarding "Missouri's ivory towers crumbling" (July 12): Our university system needs to realign its priorities. Obviously, science is of low value for our legislators. A program to train trolley-car motormen and conductors would bring in more dollars. Someone has to run the train in University City.

Ray Flunker • Ladue

The state's priorities

Regarding "Missouri's ivory towers crumbling" (July 12): What does it say about our society and our state if we are not choosing to advance our children?

Missouri has the lowest cigarette taxes in the nation and ranks 49th in alcohol taxes. If we were 25th in each, none of the cuts that Gov. Jay Nixon had to make this spring would have been necessary.

Do we really choose to help people who can't stop damaging their own health rather than those trying to educate themselves for their and society's benefit?

Mark A. Todorovich • St. Louis

Do not pass go

Regarding "Cowboy up" (July 14): It is not only speeders "whining" about speed-enforcement cameras. People are concerned not about losing the right to due process.

Mailing an accusation of a crime along with a judgment and fine is not constitutional. This denies my right to confront my accuser and forces me to prove my innocence. The crime itself is irrelevant.

The bank surveillance camera argument in the editorial is bogus. A photograph of my gun or car at a crime scene does not mean I participated in robbing the bank. Weapons and vehicles can be stolen. It is up to prosecutors to prove in a court in front of my peers that I had anything to do with the crime. They can't just mail me a letter telling me to "go directly to jail."

Patrick Brandon • Webster Groves

I prefer the ditch

Democrats lately have taken to saying that a return to Republican control of Congress would amount to driving us into the ditch again. That brings big cheers from their supporters.

But it seems more and more Americans are looking at that ditch and comparing it to the cliff the Democrats are throwing us over, and the ditch is looking pretty good.

Larry Hollenberg • Odin, Ill.

Benefits of debt

When I hear someone demanding that the federal government balance its books like the average American, I always wonder what average American they're talking about. The one with a home mortgage? Who was helped through school by student loans? Who uses a credit card at the grocery store? Whose parks, schools and roads are financed by bond issues? Who couldn't get to work without a car — bought on credit?

Governments and individuals alike use debt to finance present investment in order to promote future prosperity. Done wisely, it benefits us all.

Stephen Brown • O'Fallon, Ill.