Invest More than Opinions

(Re: "Let's Polish the Pearl," Sept. 20-26, Vol. 22, No. 12)

Dear UTW:

What a nonsense thing to criticize "the interests of a handful of outspoken and profit-driven business interests." Who do you expect to develop the area if not business interests? And is "profit-driven business" supposed to be a slight? Do you think that there are businesses who are not profit-driven? How naive! This is so typical of people who drink the new urbanist Kool Aid but are not investing money or anything more than opinions.

--Richard Wills

Studies Show

Dear UTW:

Political parties' wants to tax one section more to help the other while the other political party wants to un-tax that same section to help the other in a different way.

They 'help us' with temporary tax breaks meant to encourage us only to then use it for political gain when it's set to expire.

Why can we not take government control out of taxes all together and just use taxes to generate revenue?

'The FairTax Act' does just that and is designed to 'replace' the current federal tax code (not just reform it) to remove all federal taxes on your income and move it to consumption. New goods and services only and above the poverty level ONLY (something a lot of people leave out when discussing it).

This means the poor are not burdened with a regressive tax, the middle class see a lowering of their overall tax rate while those wealthy individuals spending money on their expensive cars and yachts are the only one's paying the full rate.

It is a progressive national retail sales tax that you ONLY pay once you are done taking care of you and your family.

Studies show that the current cost of our tax code adds about 19-25 percent to the cost of goods and services. With these taxes stripped away the market can drive prices down meaning prices won't just increase.

You control your taxes with more money in your pocket every month.

Please research this wonderful bill, you may be surprised.

--Tony Leach

Brown Out?

(Re: "What You Said," Sept. 27-Oct. 3, Vol. 22, No. 13)

Dear UTW:

I love the river and the river parks and would love to see improvements in that area -- particularly anything that the city can do to make the new Kaiser park at 31st Street a reality! But in contrast to the person who thinks that we can make the river some other color besides "brown" -- I certainly doubt that. It's a sandy-bottom river -- maybe we can get it cleaner, but it's always going to appear brown. Unless of course we dye it green like they do the Chicago River on St. Pat's day!

The trail system along the river and connecting to Sand Springs and Broken Arrow is one of the best trail systems in the midwest. This is something that few other cities have. We should focus on what a great asset the Arkansas River is for our city and put some Vision2 money into expanding recreation opportunities nearby -- as well as connecting it to other parts of the city including more downtown.

--Susan Coman

A New Game Plan

Dear UTW:

"What would Jesus do?" This is one of my favorite questions. But, now, I'm going to change my question to "What would Jesus and Mary do?"

The inspiration for the change is the discovery by a Harvard scholar, Karen King, of the first evidence that early Christians believed Jesus was married and he identified his wife as Mary.

The dialogue in which Jesus refers to "my wife" is in a 4th century fragment of papyrus.

I have always believed Jesus and Mary Magdalene loved one another. She was one of his disciples and closest companions. She is mentioned 12 times by name in the New Testament. The Gospel of Philip says, "Christ loved her more than all the disciples and used to kiss her often on the mouth" (Gospel of Philip 63:34). Philip was one of the 12 apostles of Christ.

Christian tradition holds that Jesus was unmarried and that has limited the role of women in the church.

If Jesus had a wife, then, we, girls, should become priests just like the men. The Pope would have to come up with a new game plan.

Feminist Bella Abzug was right when she said, "We weren't at the Last Supper. But, we're going to be at the next one."

--Virginia "Blue Jeans" Jenner