Widow says don’t drive if sleepy
If you get sleepy while driving, pull off the road and find a suitable place to nap.
As the summer activities start up, many of us will be out having picnics, boating, traveling and having a great time with family and friends. Often, we start home a bit later than we had planned and more tired than we had anticipated.
In 2004, my husband fell asleep at the wheel (we are fairly sure), ran off the road and flipped his car. He was alone and didn’t hit anyone else. He died, but no one else was hurt.
If you get sleepy, don’t drive. You can endanger yourself and others.
Jean Seibel, Bellevue
Don’t blame IRS for doing its job
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As a retired certified public accountant, I am very disappointed with news coverage on the heated criticism of the IRS, since not enough investigation is done to understand the true reasons for the attacks.
The special IRS 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status is restricted to groups “organized primarily for the purpose of promoting social welfare” — similar to traditional groups like civic organizations, neighborhood associations or airport authorities.
It is completely appropriate for the IRS to be critical of various political groups that were asked to provide further proof of their social welfare purposes. The IRS is merely doing its job, and some politicians are not happy.
However, the true issue is that political groups organized as political action committees, although tax-exempt, are required to disclose their contributors. But 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organizations are not required to disclose donors, since they have a non-political purpose.
Now some political groups are crying “foul” as a means of forcing their agenda upon the IRS and diverting the argument away from the true issue. The real victims here are the IRS and the duped public that believes the superficial news coverage, some of which reports the political agenda without examining the underlying facts.
Lyle Pedersen, Omaha
Oil industry donates to Terry
U.S. Rep. Lee Terry’s cheerleading for the Keystone XL pipeline is really about him posing as the poster boy for the dirty energy industry.
Since 1999, he has accepted more than $500,000 from that special-interest group and has sided with the industry 96 percent of the time on congressional votes, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics.
This is an example of what’s wrong with government today. Terry and his colleagues who voted to circumvent the process that is supposed to ensure safe and wise environmental projects received six times more in special-interest contributions than those who voted against it.
It’s clear who Terry’s constituents are. Nebraska voters need to wise up.
Philip Ross, Lincoln
Buffett will keep earning, giving
Yes, Berkshire Hathaway’s debt has been downgraded by Standard & Poor’s. And, yes, maybe Berkshire is now too big to grow like it did in the past.
But I’m sure Warren Buffett will keep finding good businesses to buy to increase the value of Berkshire.
Yes, Buffett is the most successful investor in history. But his greatest success is his generosity and the improvements he has helped make in other people’s lives, all over the world. This positive impact is more than we will ever know.
Larry Berg, Omaha
Injured elder was left behind
As founder and president of the Burlington Road Neighborhood Association, I deal with an array of quality-of-life issues. Today, I pray this plea will go out to many, in hopes of more attentiveness to the elderly.
This past May, at a function called the Golden Gems, a civic organization at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church for anyone 50 or older in the area, we helped serve lunch, ate, won prizes and chatted with friends.
When everyone left, through all the commotion of exiting the building, we did not notice that one of our Gems had fallen in the bathroom. No one heard her cries. She was left there in pain until a janitor heard her moans hours later. She is healing at this time.
It is my great concern that everyone who reads this hears this call. Those who attend any meeting or function anywhere that may have an elderly person in their group or anyone caring for loved ones should please check all rooms before leaving the area.
This will ensure that the elderly are safe as you leave.
Rebecca Barrientos-Patlan, Omaha
Less talk, more action on terror
“America is at a crossroads” in the fight against terror, President Barack Obama said. “What we can do — what we must do — is dismantle networks that pose a direct danger and make it less likely for new groups to gain a foothold, all while maintaining the freedoms and ideals that we defend. To define that strategy, we must make decisions based not on fear but hard-earned wisdom. And that begins with understanding the threat we face.”
Uh, we understood that many years ago. Is he just now getting that?
His remark says nothing of substance. The comments were constructed to appease us because Obama has demonstrated very little knowledge or courage regarding this issue. He apparently believes that pitiful rhetoric will satisfy the American people who voted for him hoping to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
Charlene Trout, Omaha
Legalize medical marijuana?
Eighteen states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized medicinal marijuana. Nebraska has not. Why not?
Jeff Gilbert, Omaha
City too slow to mow in West O
Omaha requires all citizens to mow their grass, and when they don’t, they get a citation.
Our backyards in my neighborhood are up to West Maple Road between 156th and 150th Streets. By Friday at least, the city has not mowed one time this year.
If I were to not mow my property, the city would be knocking on my door. We just got annexed by the city. Douglas County did a great job. I want them back.
Dennis Vannoy, Omaha