Published: July 14, 2008 05:21 pm            

LETTERS: The three bears and the bear

The three bears and the bear

Most of us know the story of the three (papa, momma and the baby) bears. Goldilocks journeyed to the bears’ home, ate their porridge, sat in their chairs and slept in their beds. When she awoke, she saw the bears and decided to run away, never to return again.

There is a different kind of bear that has come into our lives recently. The big bear has come to Wall Street and filled many people with enough fear that they want to in fact, “run away.” But financial advisers tell their clients to wait it out. How long will the bear be around? No one knows.

What is a “bear” concerning Wall Street? I am told that this variety of bear relates to the Dow Jones Industrial Average. I’m told that the DJIA was at its high point last October and has declined 20 percent last week. So a bear is related to the 20 percent mark.

How long will a bear be around? I wish we could call the game warden and either shoot or tag this bear. But, here again as history tells us concerning the bear, we are going to have to wait it out. But, I don’t want to wait! Last week when they said we had reached a bear market, I wanted to know what it meant by “Bear Market.” If anyone knows how to get rid of this bear please let the Wall Street experts know about it. We can’t do what Goldilocks did and run away.

The Rev. Earl H. Bell

Lockport



Talking about Mesi’s campaign

I think it’s hard to talk about reform when you’re a part of the system that needs to be reformed. Michele Iannello’s campaign is putting out statements filled with very technical language that seem like they could have been written by a Board of Elections Commissioner, which her husband happens to be. She’s a member of a Legislature that authorizes her husband’s $115,000 per year salary for his “part-time” job. Because the job is part time, he runs his election law practice full time “apparently to the benefit of select state senate candidates.” It is also interesting to note that the Legislature provides funding for the commissioner’s staff “many of whom happen to be Iannello campaign ‘volunteers.’ ”

You can’t just talk reform talk. You have to actually walk the walk. We welcome Michele back to the campaign trail, and urge her to engage in a serious discussion of the challenges facing our district. Joe Mesi is going to continue his issue-based campaign to bring strong leadership, an independent voice and working class values back to Albany.

Mike Marcy, campaign manager

Joe Mesi

        

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