Happy, happy (pause), joy

I've been quite negative lately, so I'm now looking for someone or something to say kind things about. Today, it's the pamphlet. Responding to criticism that they never ask our Representative, Wally Herger, why he votes the way he does, a reporter conducted an extensive interview with his press secretary.

It is astonishing how often Wally and I are in agreement. Because he has always been re-elected by a large margin, it is also encouraging to know that many of my neighbors are of the same opinion.

Wally feels it is not fiscally responsible to have the government pay for health insurance for children whose families could be earning as much as $60,000 a year. I agree, although I thought it was $80,000, and I believe the bill covers adult "children" to age 25. President Bush has vowed to veto it. Wally also recognizes that funding the health program with money extorted exclusively from smokers is discriminatory.

I feel Wally is wrong when he says he'd like to see more leeway for low-income parents to send their children to alternative schools, and fund them by vouchers. I believe the public schools will never improve, and could completely deteriorate if their funding is withdrawn or re-allocated.

Finally, I have always thought the interest on student loans was eminently reasonable, so Wally's opposition to a bill that would save students less than $7 per month when they repay their loans is also reasonable.

Three out of four ain't bad.