Silly lambs can't wait to get fleeced

12/10/2002

Once upon a time, Charlatan the Shepherd came to the flock and said, “I understand your little lambs are below average. I can fix that for you.” “Oh my,” said the sheep. “How?” And he said, “Just give me all your wool, and I will make things better.”

So all the sheep gathered together and voted to give up their wool. And, alas and alack, a few years later, the little lambs were still below average.

And so Charlatan the Shepherd said, “I can fix that for you.” “Oh my,” said the sheep. “How?” “I will replace all your buildings with bright shiny new ones,” he said, “and fill them with smoke and mirrors. Just give me all your wool.”

So again the sheep gathered together and voted to give up their wool. And, alas and alack, the little lambs were still below average.

And then, not even a full moon later, Charlatan the Shepherd said, “Oh, by the way, I will need more and more of your wool, for you are deep in debt.”

And so all the sheep, wondering why they were not told that before they voted for the shiny new buildings, were very, very sad. For they had no more wool. The End.

SKIP WERNERT

Castlewood Drive

The state of affordable health care in Toledo is deplorable. While those who qualify for Medicaid are eligible for the best health care in the state, the working poor get little or nothing. Health issues are shelved or ignored when one lacks insurance. Free or reduced prices for testing is not available, and medications are impossible to obtain. Toledo's working poor are sentenced to live in pain with an uncertain life span.

Do I know this for a fact? Oh yes, I am one of the working poor. I live with pain daily. I don't go to doctors, dentists, or hospitals. I work every day to simply survive in this “great” city. There have been articles in The Blade regarding the possibility of health care for the uninsured, and yet no one has determined what the guidelines are for eligibility. The longer local government ignores the crisis in health care, education, technology, and housing, the less likely Toledo is to attract healthy, well-educated residents. Grandma was right: a day late, a dollar short.

WHIMS IVEY

Vinal Street

Paul Krugman has written so many great columns about the unfairness of this current administration's tax policy. I just can't understand how the people can tolerate such smugness by the GOP. They are not for the vast majority of Americans. We are not Democrats or Republicans any more. We are now known as the parties of the rich vs. the poor. There is no middle class..

Molly Ivins is also right on the GOP. And be afraid, citizens, we are in for really bad times. President Bush wants war and he is determined to start one. We have looked for the enemy and he is us.

DOROTHY KUSTER

Platt Street

My question about the church sex abuse scandal is why haven't the bishops, police, and prosecutors who protected the molesters been charged with aiding and abetting a crime?

JIM TAYLOR

Temperance