Your Opinion: Changing times

Dear Editor:

I was born in Jefferson City in 1933 before children killed their parents and parents killed their children.

We had no computers, cell phones, air conditioners, and very few toys. In the early "40s, only two families had a car in the 400 block of West Ashley. I seldom heard anyone complain about taxes, the poor and so on.

Part of the problem now is we have too many second- and third-generation little rich boys running things. Daddy paid their way to college, his friends gave them jobs as stupid visor or they became politicians. They are greedy and all they think about is themselves and money. I seldom hear our young people that have gone to war and lost legs, arms, and eyes or the poor complain. It is usually the well off that complain the most.

I wish that children could enjoy growing up as much as I did; we played outside with other children sometimes until late at night.

On Aug. 22, 1942, I went to St. Mary's for three days and had surgery and the total bill was $35.25. It costs a little more than that now, partly because people that can afford insurance will not buy it because they will never get sick or hurt.

One day Mr. Roark the dogcatcher brought our dogs to the house and said we needed to keep the dog chained up as it was chasing the neighbor's chickens, now the city charges 25-50 dollars if your dog runs loose.

We have some good government programs, Social Security, unemployment, food stamps etc. The people that abuse them are bad. Most programs that help the poor and sick were started when a Democrat was president. Before some of you Republicans get all huffy get a history book if you can read and tell us the good things given when a Republican was in office.

If you paddle a child it will not make them bad. We had very few children in prison in the "40. As I stated in your paper on Feb. 11, 2009, lowering taxes on the rich will not create jobs.

I voted for Reagan but his trickle-down theory does not work. In Missouri we like people that complain, we even put a bust of them in our state capital. All I ever see Rush do is sit on his rear and complain. He did a nice job on national TV putting down the nice little woman that complained. Rush gets millions for complaining. I cannot out-do Rush so put my bust in the basement. Nought.