Here's a Flint Journal letter to the editor for Friday, Nov. 21, 2008: (Give your view on this letter in the comments area below)

Listen to all the crying and whining by General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Sears, Wal-Mart, Kmart and other companies about how they can't seem to sell enough products to stay afloat.

Evidently, these companies didn't do a lot of thinking about who was going to buy their products when they began 20 years ago to ship their manufacturing processes overseas.

Here's a Flint Journal letter to the editor for Friday, November 21, 2008: (Give your view on this letter in the comments area below)

Flint Journal extra: See below for other letters to the editor related to this pitbull topic.

To the person who thinks Flint should ban pit bulls ["Dogs running loose are dangerous," Your Letters, Nov. 9]: What good could that possibly do?

It would negatively affect law-abiding citizens and their well-cared-for animals.

The people who do not abide by the law will only continue to do so.

Here's a Flint Journal letter to the editor for Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008: (Give your view on this letter in the comments area below)



In a recent column, Peter Luke asked, "How did Proposal 2 pass?" ["Expect some big ripples in Michigan from election," Opinion, Nov. 10]. He went on to note that one of the main opponents of the proposal was the Catholic Church.

The church spent millions of dollars on its anti-campaign with two main arguments of it goes too far, and it will cost the taxpayers millions of dollars.

Manuel Balce Ceneta | Associated PressGeneral Motors CEO Rick Wagoner, from right, Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli, Ford CEO Alan Mulally, testify at a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on the automotive industry bailout on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008.

Here's a Flint Journal letter to the editor for Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008: (Give your view on this letter in the comments area below)

The question lately is whether to bail out the auto industry. First of all, we need to remember that it is a loan, not a handout.

Second, the millions of jobs lost would be devastating to the economy. But we need to also look at the other ways the Detroit Three have contributed.

After Sept. 11, 2001, the Detroit Three gave millions of dollars in relief funds.

Darryl Bush | The Associated PressAlexander Sanchez of San Francisco waves a rainbow-colored flag during a protest of the vote that banned same-sex marriage in California, in front of San Francisco City Hall on Saturday. A letter writer says now is the time to allow gay marriage.

On Saturday, I attended a nationwide protest in Ann Arbor against Proposition 8, the proposition that took the right to marry away from gays and lesbians in California and put the marriages of about 18,000 couples in doubt.

I should not be denied my partner's Social Security benefits, nor she mine.

I should have access to her pension and she mine. I should not be denied visitation access to her if she were in the hospital.

I should not have to pay inheritance taxes on property we own together. ere are more than 1,000 benefits that married couples have access to that are denied to gay couples.

Here's a Flint Journal letter to the editor for Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008: (Give your view on this letter in the comments area below)

Dean Yeotis

As I read The Flint Journal's story this past Sunday concerning the group that is leading the recall effort, I was a bit disappointed with the story's characterization of attorney Dean Yeotis ["Varied group behind efforts to unseat mayor," Local News, Nov. 9].

While the article is correct, he is the attorney for a class action lawsuit of sewer claims that the city of Flint is on the hook for with judgments exceeding $11 million, what was left out was how we got to this point and what it is costing the taxpayers of this city on a daily basis.

While I served on the City Council, nearly four years ago, Yeotis offered to settle the cases for what would have amounted to well under $2 million.

He went so far as to come to the council during the public comment period of the meeting and request that we meet with him to settle these cases before the city incurred significantly more costs.

The city attorney refused to allow that to take place.

John W. Adkisson | The Flint JournalEmergency personnel tend to the victim of a construction accident Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008 at the Durant Hotel in Flint. The fall results in fines against some companies involved in the project. A letter writer objects to comments made about the fines.

Here's a Flint Journal letter to the editor for Wednesday Nov. 19, 2008: (Give your view on this letter in the comments area below)

Flint Journal extras: See below for more articles related to the Durant Hotel project.

I am writing in response to the article that appeared in The Flint Journal on Nov. 11 regarding the fines that were issued as a result of the injury that occurred at the Durant Hotel ["Durant site logs $162K in fines," Local News].

I feel compelled to take issue with State Sen. John Gleason's conclusion that the fines are "another indication that when we use low-skill, out-of-town contractors, these things happen more often."

While I am a fervent supporter of unionism and hiring local contractors, I fail to see the connection between the fines and Gleason's reasoning.

Here's a Flint Journal letter to the editor for Wednesday Nov. 19, 2008: (Give your view on this letter in the comments area below)

I read that the judges of the Flint District Court are now jumping on the bandwagon and suing the City Council for more money in their budget ["Judges sue City Council over underfunding court's budget," Local News, Nov. 13].

It's surprising to me that the Police Department hasn't filed a suit against the council. Its budget is the one that seems to be constantly taking a hit. The citizens of this community deserve adequate police protection and, in fact, demand it.

Here's a Flint Journal letter to the editor for Wednesday Nov. 19, 2008: (Give your view on this letter in the comments area below)

Instead of giving the automakers a pile of money that would be just a Band-Aid, the government should take that money and offer rebates of $4,000 or $5,000 to either the car companies or the individual, for the purchase of a new American-made car.

Paul Sancya | The Associated PressJournalists roam around the displays of cars at the North American International Auto Show Monday, Jan. 14, 2008 in Detroit. A letter writer says the auto makers need to scale back the lavishness of the shows.

Here's a Flint Journal letter to the editor for Wednesday Nov. 19, 2008: (Give your view on this letter in the comments area below)

I have to question whether the big car parties called auto shows are really a legitimate expenditure for failing auto companies.

I read recently that General Motors has decided to reduce its participation in the Los Angeles Auto Show but that GM participation in the big Detroit auto show bash in January is still planned.

Ford, meanwhile, says it has no intention of reducing its presence for the L.A. show ["Putting brakes on auto shows," Business, Nov. 12].

Curiously enough, in that same article Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Land Rover and Suzuki will not be in Detroit spending money. Suzuki said in the article that "spending money on the Detroit show no longer made sense."

Now if these foreign companies (who are not asking for bailout money) see the costs of these shows as not making sense, how is that two troubled U.S. companies, which are losing money faster than my Individual Retirement Account, could possibly afford to be at these car parties?

Does this tell us something about the decisions of our U.S. auto execs who have gotten their companies into this mess?

Here's a Flint Journal letter to the editor for Tuesday Nov. 18, 2008: (Give your view on this letter in the comments area below)

With the creation of credit default swaps and securities derived from mortgages and credit cards, it is now hard to distinguish Wall Street from gambling establishments, the main differences being that casinos are better managed, with less greed, and their fleecing of patrons is voluntary rather than mandated.

George O. Hawkins
Goodrich

Here's a Flint Journal letter to the editor for Tuesday Nov. 18, 2008: (Give your view on this letter in the comments area below)

On Sunday morning, Nov. 2, I read the editorial, "No grab bag," which detailed the use of senior millage money. I am grateful for people in our community that show support and concern for our elderly population in making sure the senior millage money is being spent properly.

The Genesee County Sheriff's Department, Probate Court and the Prosecutor's Office were awarded $758,000 in grant funds to support the Elder Abuse and Financial Exploitation Prevention Program.

John W. Adkisson | The Flint JournalElena Popova of Grand Blanc Township stands outside of the home where she wants to run Oasis, an adult day care for people with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. Popova, a certified caregiver, has received complaints from neighbors in her Warwick Hills neighborhood about the day care. A letter writer says these types of clubs are not to be feared.

Here's a Flint Journal letter to the editor for Tuesday Nov. 18, 2008: (Give your view on this letter in the comments area below)

Regarding the concerns indicated in Oct. 22, 2008 front-page article "Warwick fights day care 'club,'" I wanted to share a few viewpoints.

A service site that seeks to help senior adults with brain disorders in a day program will not bring a neighborhood down. The Buick Open will not be affected. Home value fluctuation should not be attributed to the existence of the site.

Here's a Flint Journal letter to the editor for Tuesday Nov. 18, 2008: (Give your view on this letter in the comments area below)

Flint Journal extras: See below for more articles and opinions on this topic.

This is a response to Thomas Devinve's Nov. 3 letter, "Time for workplaces to go smoke-free."

The debate over allowing smoking in bars, restaurants and casinos to continue in Michigan has been framed as a public health issue. This is not the case. It is actually a property rights issue. It concerns allowing business owners the option of allowing smoking in their establishments at their discretion.

Here's a Flint Journal letter to the editor for Monday Nov. 17, 2008: (Give your view on this letter in the comments area below)

Flint Journal extras: See below for more articles on the economy and the auto industry.

I see the auto companies are asking the American public to bail them out of their past mistakes. I look back to the time that we bailed out Chrysler and saw them return to be a profitable company. However, they then sold out to Daimler. They then sold it for pennies on the dollar to an investment firm. I say Chrysler had its chance.

As for General Motors and Ford, I say, "yes," we will give them some bailout dollars, but only after they get rid of these overpaid executives who sent work out of the country.