Readers 'Sound Off'

The Pottstown Mercury runs a daily column called "Sound Off," where readers can leave a voice mail on any issue they wish to comment on. Here's a sampling of what's on the minds of area residents:

"I just heard a deputy White House press secretary say that the cap and trade bill is a jobs bill first and foremost. Why do we need a jobs bill? That's what the stimulus package was. That's what we spent all that money for and continue to spend. So let's bag the cap and trade bill."

"They want an increase in our real estate taxes but our house isn't as valuable as it was so why couldn't we be getting a rebate back?"

"It's official. Our Congress is made up of a bunch of clowns. The bozos in Minnesota decided to elect a vulgar, vile comedian with no expertise in anything other than being an idiot on television as a United States senator. Unbelievable. Minnesota, you got what you deserve. The United States of America did not."

"It's amazing how Fast Eddie and his band of thieves can find all kinds of ways to cut spending that affects the taxpayers, but no way at all to take some of the excess he and his cronies get. He sure is taking care of the taxpayers in Pennsylvania."

"The fact is that the world population of polar bears has increased 300-400 percent over the last 30 years. Is the Arctic warmer now than then? If so, it hasn't been a problem for the polar bears. The polar bear scare is pure poppycock nonsense, another hysterical fantasy dreamed up by the scaremongers with sticky fingers in your wallet."

"The bloated government will not be denied their new taxes. Slavery by debt so huge there's nothing left. That's the goal."

"Wow! I really feel sorry for those government officials for having no budget, no pay. Yeah, right. I don't think so. I don't feel sorry for them. Now maybe they will know what it is to be like the rest of us especially us who lost our jobs, our homes, our whole livelihood. It's not nice is it politicians? Especially you, Fast Eddie."

"Our property taxes just arrived. When you read through all the mumbo jumbo and figure it out, they actually went up $117, even with the discount they put on a piece of paper telling you how much of a discount you got. But when everything is added up, we ended up with an increase of $117.42. This year we cannot pay it — nobody is working."

"I hope the governor doesn't add more money to our taxes for us seniors. We barely have enough to live on my husband and I. We don't want to move out of the house we've been in for over 50 years. I just can't believe this is happening in this day and age."

"The global warming liberals have lashed onto CO2 as their chosen boogeyman because this gives them excuse to control virtually every activity on earth seeing as we are a carbon-based species on a carbon-based planet."

"I believe in our form of government. It is what once made us the greatest nation the world has ever known. However, sadly, I no longer believe in the people running it hence the current predicament our nation is in. I grow weary of elections where I am voting for the lesser of two evils instead of for a person who will get the job done. Always remember, people should never fear its government but government better fear its people."