Side-by-side obesity and hunger is a theme coming from Mrs. Obama, and they are both prevalent in Madison and Delaware counties, not to mention the rest of Indiana. There are too many kids overweight, yet too many are going hungry. Have you noticed the percent of students receiving free lunches at our schools, as reported in the 2009 Annual School Performance and food bank reports?

One can sum up the real problem in our country with one word — Republican! President Barack Obama has only been in office one year, and Republicans are trying to convince people that he has created this mess. Have you forgotten that it was President George W. Bush and the Republicans who got us into this mess?

Once upon a time, American children were educated in neighborhood schools, that had stood the test of time and created the genius that made American the envy of the world. Children walked and/or rode bikes to school and the community and school were the center of their universe. The community controlled the schools and parents controlled their children, as they received a good education in a protected and loving environment.

Smoking is a habit from which everyone should refrain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there are 443,000 smoking deaths per year. Also, frequently quoted is that secondhand smoke causes 53,000 deaths annually. These figures are quoted in nearly every media article on smoking bans, but did you ever wonder how they were derived?

President Obama recently gave his State of the Union address. Here are three claims and how they compare to the facts; although, there are more. President Obama is now converting to the cause of broad spending freezes. In the presidential campaign, he criticized John McCain for suggesting one.

I recently received a quarterly publication of the East Central Indiana Regional Report. Interesting reading on what is going on economically in a nine-county area, surrounding and including Madison County. I was particularly interested in the tidbit on Page 12 — “The City of Anderson.” It states: The City of Anderson has started working on a $6.5 million wastewater improvement project, required to comply with the Federal Clean Water Act.

Jim Dodge’s Feb. 28 Viewpoint criticizing liberals for partisan attacks on Republicans would be more credible if he hadn’t done the same thing to Democrats. Does he think he has credibility when he calls the Obama administration “community agitators, income tax evaders and the 1960’s version of terrorists”? Or saying Democrats “would love to rewrite the Constitution”? No facts, just right-wing name-calling.

Madison County government is in a colossal mess, and the politicians will blame county workers. Working men and women in this county are under attack from this old, conservative political system that has been a total failure in Indiana, Madison County and the country.

I have found much humor and irony in letters and viewpoints in The Herald Bulletin in recent months.

The polls show that Americans are angry at the financial crisis the Bush-Cheney government gave us — but they are not angry at those folks who caused it. Why?

The recent statement that the governor made was somewhat over the top. Gov. Daniels stated that since the current administration was in the auto business, they were piling on to Toyota. I thought that was very insensitive to the victims. I am sure the families, of the 19 individuals who lost their lives due to faulty accelerator and brake problems, would want the government to investigate the problems that Toyota is having.

This letter is in response to a letter written by Rhonda Ballard-Gottschammer. This letter was to the point, and mentioned all the pros and cons of the school consolidation. I don’t live in Union or Richland townships, but I do agree 100 percent with what the alliance group is doing. I wish I could put my name on their ballot. I want Highland to stay, and not be combined with Anderson. The classrooms will be very overcrowded, the teachers will be crazy by day’s end, and the students will leave classes empty.

NBC network should be ashamed of themselves for airing the video of Georgian luger, Nodar Kumaritash, who died after flying off the track and slamming into a steel beam. The network chose the beginning of the Olympics ceremony to air this tragic scene, which disgusted and turned many people off from watching the Olympics.

I’m writing in regard to the headlines in The Herald Bulletin on Feb. 17, 2010, “Moderates Leaving Congress.” It should have read, “Liberals Leaving Congress,” because liberals, whether Republican or Democrat, are in trouble. Congress is stacked with big-time spenders.

The public discourse of late sounds like small children fighting over the ball on the playground. Many, if not most, Americans seem ready to participate in progress, but the lack of information makes it very difficult to do so. Now we have Dick Cheney going around the country stirring fear and mistrust wherever he can. Distorting history and claiming credit for accomplishments where credit is not due seem to be his trademarks.

Who made this mess? Clearly, it belongs to federal officials, the president and Congress. What have they done right? The war, free trade tax cuts, mandates, the stock market, banking, business regulations and protecting citizens. The result of mistakes in all these areas is a decaying economy.

I am a lifelong resident of Madison County. I was born in an apartment above the Odd Fellows Lodge in Gilman, Ind., 58 years ago.
This letter is the result of my most recent visit to my area BMV to renew my license plates. I paid the state over $500 for the privilege to drive in this country.

Potholes are created by water getting under the asphalt, freezing, and pushing the asphalt upward, then breaking up.
If this is the case, why are the potholes not repaired properly? If when the people responsible for the repairs would only do a couple of tasks, then the repairs would not repeat themselves.

We would like to thank all who helped make our sixth annual Super Bowl Party for the Christian Center a success.

As a concerned parent of Richland Township, one who strives to teach temperance and diversity to my three children (ranging in age from 17 to 3), I feel it necessary to share my voice as your editorial published in the Feb. 5 Herald Bulletin attacked what you believe the people of this Madison County School Alliance have formed to do and why.

On behalf of Alexandria Monroe Elementary’s Student Council I would like to thank all of our students and staff for their donations toward our “Soup’er Bowl” canned food drive.

I am sure you have probably heard enough of this, but I just wanted to say a few things that may interest you.

President Obama, going face to face with his critics from Democratic and Republican parties, showed his toughness and intelligence.

Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, R-6th District, is running for re-election. Ask yourself: What has he done for Anderson and his district?

As a progressive I think it is time to consider starting over on health care reform. We can start by removing the antitrust protection enjoyed by health care insurers in this country.

“This is the 14th time we’ve won a court case,” said Ralph Reed, owner of JM Corp., in the Jan. 27 Herald Bulletin about his attempt to bring a trash dump to Anderson.

I realize high school bowling is not recognized by IHSAA but there are three high school bowling teams representing Madison County in the State Team Finals this Saturday at Cooper’s Sports Bowl in Anderson.

Thirty-plus years ago, the Earth was going to perish due to an oncoming ice age, according to junk science and many agenda-driven progressives.

Text messaging is one of the most dangerous things a driver can do while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle and yet there are still an alarming number of drivers who are doing it.

I would just like to send a special thanks to the young Elwood police officer who came to my aid the evening of Feb. 8. My vehicle broke down while I was in town for business. I live in Greenwood and was unfamiliar with where an auto parts store was.

In a Feb. 6 editorial The Herald Bulletin argues that the Madison County School Alliance (MCSA) is opposed to the recent decision of the Anderson Community Schools board to merge two high schools into one, prompting us to form a new school district. That’s not an accurate portrayal of MCSA.

Tuesday, Feb. 23, is the Humane Society of the United State’s Annual Spay Day USA. About one cat or dog every eight seconds — almost 4 million — are put down in U.S. shelters each year. These are frequently the offspring of family pets, including purebreds. Maybe the family cat or dog got out just once or maybe the litter was intended, but enough good homes couldn’t be found.

Politics over policy. It’s nothing new in debates at the local, state or federal levels of government. But that doesn’t mean we should condone it; in fact, we should fight against it. The policy in this case is a better way to deliver poor relief and fire protection services that are currently housed at the woefully ineffective township level.

The school controversy in Anderson has the wrong focus. Four hundred parents and community organizers showed up at a separation meeting.

I just finished reading The Herald Bulletin Feb. 6 editorial on “Why the School District Should be Unified, Not Split Apart.”

The Anderson Community School Corp. is taking this school uniform policy too far.

In regard to Kevin Karr’s viewpoint as expressed Feb. 8, I would like to add the following information as an explanation for the “additional federal funding” mentioned in Mr. Karr’s commentary.

I’ve finally realized why people are poor, it’s because the wealthy don’t have enough money. Here’s an illustration.

What does it say about the Indiana Republican Party when the “top tier” candidate they put up for a Senate run is a citizen of Virginia? Dan Coats has voted on a regular basis since 2000 from his home state, Virginia.

I wish to submit a modest proposal for consideration regarding the future of Anderson Community Schools, but first allow me to provide context. After being raised in Anderson, I graduated from Anderson University in 1993 and moved from the community for further education.

In his Feb. 4 column, headlined “Phil not getting the point,” it’s Rick Teverbaugh that’s not getting the point. He wrote that pro golfer Phil Mickelson was, in effect, cheating by using a legal loophole in order to use a club banned this year on the PGA tour. These clubs are irons with square grooves in them.

You may find me in Webster’s with a close look at politically liberal. If the tea partiers would use the dictionary they could not only improve themselves, they could use correct spelling in their signs. Conservative is too nice of a word to use on some. I took an oath to the Constitution over 50 years ago and there is no reason for the end of my oath.

On Jan. 29, two gas canisters were thrown through the windows of Mr. James Harris’ home while he and his very small grandchildren were watching television. This is a true-crime, stupid and dangerous police tactics. Anderson deserves and needs a police force, not a goon squad.

As I near my 79th year, I have seen America at its finest and over the past 30 years, sinking to its lowest. I have witnessed the usery laws and the anti-trust laws suspended by Ronald Reagan open the door for big business and big money to do anything they want and watch the greed of a few thousand people run this country into near bankruptcy.

I read in The Herald Bulletin the Anderson Community Schools system decided not to seek additional federal funding. ACS was one of 25 school systems in Indiana that chose not to seek the grant money. Over 300 school systems in Indiana applied for the grant money, and our take of the grant money would have been almost $1.9 million.

President Obama signed an executive order to loan two billion dollars to the Brazilian Oil Exploration Company to drill off the coast of Brazil.

Let me preface this letter by stating I am a retired U.S. Army master sergeant who served from 1968 to 1988.

I just read the article from Linda Robbins about how they should keep the traditions of the Scots and the Indians and combine them into one as she put it. This would be a beautiful thing to see.

I’m writing this in hopes that the kind person who retrieved my prescription sunglasses will read the message.