Dear Mark: Spill Bad, Government Bad, Dope Good?Dear Mark: I hope you "drill, baby, drill" nut-jobs are happy. Our Gulf Coast is looking at a mega-disaster because of the BP drilling accident. This shows why we need cap-and-trade legislation passed today. Will this oil spill finally bring you around to our side? — Solar Sam in San Clemente Dear Solar: I have always been on the side of clean energy. My beef is with supporters of the cap-and-trade legislation who would gladly sacrifice our prosperity in the name of solar panels, windmills and battery-operated toy cars. The oil spill in the Gulf is tragic and appears to be the worst oil disaster of our time, but the accident is no excuse for knee-jerk legislation. I favor congressional hearings to thoroughly examine the accident and work on solutions rather than a witch hunt to humiliate oil executives in order to score political points. While they're at it, Congress might want to ask if the $77,000 BP contributed to President Obama bought the oil giant any favors moments after the explosion. In order to protect our economy during the transition from petroleum products to green energy, I will continue the mantra of "drill, baby, drill" ... in Alaska. Dear Mark: During a commencement speech at the University of Michigan, President Obama chastised Americans who look at government as "inherently bad." From the tone of your columns, Obama might have been talking about you. I know our government is not perfect, but do you actually believe it is ALL bad? — Government Good in Glenville Dear Government: The answer depends on your definition of "bad." I believe most folks in the federal government, even those squirrelly congressmen, have good intentions.
As a result of poorly managed programs, misguided priorities and the politicians' abuse of their fiduciary responsibility to spend our money wisely, our country is trillions of dollars in debt. That is unacceptable and why millions of Americans are angry at the government. Social Security may work, but it is bankrupt. The Post Office may work, but it is bankrupt. Amtrak may work, but it is bankrupt. Even our vaunted military, that is the best in the world, historically has been plagued with budget overruns and inefficient bureaucratic redundancies. If our federal government were a contractor, it would have been fired long ago. In his speech, President Obama showed he has completely missed the point of the public ire when he told the students "When our government is spoken of as some menacing, threatening foreign entity, it ignores the fact in our democracy, government is us." He is correct in that we voted those rascals into office, but just like the bad contractor, we are not getting our money's worth from Washington. With polls showing that 80 percent of the people don't trust the federal government and congressional approval ratings in the single digits, President Obama might want to look in the mirror occasionally before casting aspersions upon citizens who think Washington is bad. Dear Mark: Is it true that the Washington, D.C., city council approved marijuana for medical use? — Mary Jane Joy in Junction City Dear Mary: The vote was merely a formality, as there has never been a shortage of "dopes" in Washington. Dear Mark is a public platform for your enrichment and entertainment. E-mail your questions to marklevy92@aol.com. To find out more about Mark Levy, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM
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