Letters to the Editor

Editor,

As a frequent visitor to Falls Church from Bethesda, I am excited by the redevelopment that is under way along Broad Street. I love living in downtown Bethesda, and it sounds like you are on the way to making your town center the same kind of place -- a place where people like to be.

I must disagree, however, with the letter to last week's News-Press that proposed a parking district. The parking district that we have in Bethesda is the main cause of the complaints that are so often heard about parking here. There is, in fact, plenty of parking in Bethesda. The problem is that half the parking is in privately owned garages and is sold at full price, around $8 or $10 per day. The other half of the parking is operated by the parking district and is sold at a subsidized price of $4.50 per day. Naturally, the $4.50 parking spaces are always in short supply. When people tell you they had trouble finding a parking space, a few questions will invariably establish that they were looking only in the subsidized lots and garages.

On weekends, the situation is even worse because the parking district gives its spaces away for free. The privately owned garages obviously can't compete with that price, so many of them don't bother to open at all. At the dinner hour on Saturday night, the publicly owned spaces fill up -- while many private garages are closed or are used only for valet parking.

The revitalized Falls Church will work much better without a parking district. Use your form-based code to require that all new parking spaces go underground -- then let the market decide how many spaces get built and how much it costs to park in them. Make sure there's plenty of transit service for those who don't want to pay for parking, including frequent shuttles to Metrorail. You will wind up with less traffic, abundant parking for anyone who wants to pay for it, and a friendly cityscape that is not marred by ugly parking garages.

Ben Ross Bethesda, MD

Editor,

With regard to Mike Hume's recent column on vegan competition: unless the competition involves only luck (drawing a card from the deck), usually one prepares for the event. I wonder whether the three boys involved in the competition even googled one website to research veganism. (There are many.) Learning to be a vegan is a journey. Like many things in life, it must be studied and practiced. Mike's feeble attempt at humor “if you think you can eat it, you're wrong” show how completely unprepared he was and highlights his lack of imagination. The places in just the Falls Church are where one can find vegan food are numerous: Whole Foods, Happy Family Restaurant, Subway, Giant, Safeway and even the Burger King, to name a few. One need not survive on nuts, “lots and lots of nuts.” The number of fruits, veggies, beans and grains available are almost limitless, especially in an urban area such as ours.

The rewards of veganism, whether health, ethical, environmental or personal, are many. In these days where marketplace rewards of immediate gratification and large profits take precedence over long range plans and goals which consider the good of the future, it takes patience, courage and maturity to strive for knowledge and excellence. I am sure that the competitions in which Mike and his friends have previously used their mental fortitude (basketball, baseball) would not have been attempted without coaching, fitness, knowledge of the rules governing these sports and much practice. It would seem obvious that changing a lifestyle, even for a short competition would require the same. Veganism is a philosophy, not a menu choice. Mike and his friends, like so many others, have been brainwashed by propaganda from the dairy and meat producers about animal protein being necessary and vegetables being less important in a healthy diet. Some of the strongest creatures on earth (elephants, gorillas) are vegans. Incorporating even part of the vegan philosophy is a healthy choice for anyone.

Margaretha Backers-Netherton Falls Church

Editor,

We would like to thank those of you who came to support the mother/daughter art show the 1st Friday of October. Your participation in purchasing the art work netted $3007.00 which was donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. A special thanks goes to Art and Frame of Falls Church for hosting the event. We would also like to express our appreciation to the entire community for its continued support for the arts.

Suzanne and Dianne Gittins Falls Church

Editor,

I have spent my whole life assuming, when I heard or read something ridiculous and/or misleading, everybody else recognized the absurdity as well. One thing that I have learned over the last four years is that I should not be making that assumption anymore. So, when I read Dave Phelps’ letter in last week’s FCNP, I felt compelled to point out the obvious.

I watched this election very closely and I can say with confidence that John Kerry never begrudged hard working people their tax cut. Anybody who bothered to watch the debates and not get all their information from chopped up sound-bytes on Fox News would know that. In fact, based on the long-term, negative effect of these tax cuts, I’m all for giving mine back and I’m not even close to being a limousine liberal. Actually, the closest I am to a limousine is when I have to wait to cross 17th Street in the morning as Dick Cheney’s entourage blows through every red light from the Naval Observatory to the White House.

Of course, this is the Republican machine now. Pepper your dialog with lots of catchy disdainful phrases like “smug liberal” and “smug Brahmin from Massachusetts.” Throw out an alleged fact or two that you’ll never have to defend or even bother stating where you got the tidbit from. And then, hit ‘em with a zinger that will bury the point of your stake in their heart like mentioning “Senator Kerry’s wife, who earned over $5 million, paid only 14% to the fed”. Yes, I do have to point out that the reason she paid just 14% (she actually only paid 12.4%, a fact Grover Norquist is most happy to verify) is due in no small part to George Bush’s tax cut and that she earns most of her money through dividends and interest which isn’t taxed the same as income. What’s also not mentioned is that the vast proportion of Ms. Kerry’s $600-million plus fortune is in tax-exempt bonds. How about that? One of America’s richest individuals is investing her money, not in shady off-shore shelters or big percentage equity deals, but in local, state, and federal government projects that benefit the rest of us.

Now, what’s equally risible about the “factoid” Mr. Phelps has placed before us is that we aren’t provided any comparative numbers. What did Cheney pay in income tax, for instance? Turns out the Cheney’s paid just 20% of their AGI on an income that was more than both Bush and Kerry…combined. This income was derived mostly from Cheney’s $36-million payout deferment from his Halliburton retirement. So, is 20% better than 14% when you are trying to knock someone around for supposedly begrudging hard-working folks a tax cut? How about 15%? After all, that’s what the Bush’s paid. Since the 2003 revised tax table states that for Married Filing Jointly you have to pay $90,514.50 on the first $311,950 (a shade over 29%) and then 35% on the excess, the only argument I see getting proven is the one John Kerry was trying to make. Lest I forget, Kerry paid about 23% on his income of $395,338.

John Figlear Falls Church

Editor,

I just wanted to respond to your White House column ‘Fool Me Once.’ I would like to thank you for having the nerve to put out there what a lot of us feel. It is unfortunate we are in a society that prefers Strong and Wrong over quality leadership. The people who voted for Bush (including all the religious self righteous who believe it is more important to cleanse the world of gays and pro choice at any cost) are going to get what they want, blood and guts, we all ready have it, we will have more. Herbert Hoover (another American disaster) used to tell the American people, ‘Prosperity is just around the corner’ as he dismantled the country with his arrogance. He was right, it came in the form of FDR. Our hope now will be in getting a ‘weak minded liberal’ (as the Republicans like to call it) such as FDR was, into office in 2008 to rebuild America, and we will need some definite rebuilding! So to all those who wanted Strong and Wrong, they got it. I take comfort in knowing that there are people who are willing to speak out against this foolish position though. Thanks again,

Dan Greenwood Falls Church

Editor,

I thank you for your White House Report last week that I read in the Falls Church News-Press online. I found it via Google, using the search term "Christians against Bush", possibly from another link in those search results. I am a Christian, a member of the Church of the Nazarene, these past three years (Evangelican Congregational before this). A UCC is nearby, of course, here in Pennsylvania. My wife's mother was UCC, father Lutheran.

I feel alone in my local church. It would seem, everyone is supporting Bush. I have said a few things lightly to express my opinion but I really don't believe anyone else is against the current administration. I can't believe it - a holiness church! My pastor is a good man, truly conservative, evangelical, born-again, sanctified holy as we say, equivalent to Baptized by the Holy Spirit which you know about. But ... he is surely a Bush supporter because of Bush's stand on abortion, homosexual marriage, blah, blah. But .... what about the man, Bush himself? Wake up folks!

I just can't believe it. If Bush were more popular, even outside the US, you know who I would think he is? I won't say the word, but many believe (my pastor included) that we are very near the end of history. Sad, yes. Hopeful, yes! Where is the verse, not exactly applying of course: "In the end days, even the elect may be deceived by false prophets." Keeping it simple. I have been simply looking for more support, from other Christians, so that I don't believe I am so off the wall on this issue. Not all Evangelicals are for Bush. Am I not right? No reply necessary; I know your answer. Again, thanks so much for speaking out.

Jim Randolph Bethlehem, PA