Congressman helped with Purple Heart

Dear Editor:

Recently, my parents who live in South Carolina asked me to assist them in securing a Purple Heart for my father who had served and was wounded in the Korean Conflict 50 years ago. Although skeptical about contacting a politician I felt it was my best option.

I emailed my Congressman Terry Everett and to my surprise, I received a response the next day! He informed me that he would be happy to assist me in my effort. Congressman Everett and his staff worked tirelessly over the next few weeks to help me in securing the honor for my father.

On May 6, 2002, one of our country's heroes, my father Dock H. Skipper, Sr., received an honor fifty years late thanks to the efforts of Congressman Everett and his staff. I can not tell you how impressed I was with the organization and professionalism of Congressman Everett and his staff, particularly Victoria Ebell. On behalf of my family and me, I would like to recognize the efforts of a dedicated public servant, Cogressman Terry Everett.

Dock H. Skipper, Jr.

Parker doesn't practice what she preaches

Dear Editor:

Apparently, Susan Parker is not practicing what she preaches on the campaign trail. Her standard line to Alabama voters disparages big insurance companies, big drug companies and big businesses. However, a recent news article pointed out that Parker made a trip to Nantucket, Mass. a few weeks ago to attend a Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee retreat designed to allow her to rub elbows with Democratic Senators, and to help her raise money from the over 250 major corporate representatives and lobbyists in attendance.

The sponsors of this event were none other than a big insurance company, AFLAC; a big drug company, Eli Lily and Company; and a big business, Federal Express. Her words and her actions don't add up.

Lee Sellers

Montgomery

Sessions' job is to guide the economy

Dear Editor:

The stock market is headed south and this means that stock exchange listed companies will have a harder time finding financing in the future. Slower financing means slower growth for the economy.

As a member of the Joint Economic Committee of the Congress, it is Jeff Sessions' job to come up with a plan to guide the entire economy. Sessions' plan was to cut taxes for the very rich and let deficit spending return, depleting the ten year budget surplus by over $5 trillion. The result has been that so far that inflation is still low,

but intermediate and long term interest rates are still relatively high, thus we have 'real' interest rates, and capital spending by business is low. We, therefore, have a recipe for stagflation because the Fed is pouring on the monitary coals but they are pushing on a string.

The markets sense this and have given up more value than

at anytime in a generation.

Sessions needs to come home and explain what went wrong with his plan and what he plans to do about it. Or else he might appear like his fellow Republican, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, who is charged with carrying out the economic plan, who said, "If people don't like what I am doing, I don't give a damn. I could be sailing around on a yacht or driving around the country."

Sincerely,

Saul Smith

Montgomery