Budget cuts hurt students, others

I write this with the utmost disappointment in those who represent us at the state Capitol. The recent vote to approve the Budget Reconciliation Bill is very disturbing.

This nonsense bill makes it harder and harder for low-income residents to partake in higher education. Current students will have to work all that much harder now in order to afford financial aid. This is obscenely unfair; it turns higher education from a right into a privilege.

This recent cut is a personal blow to me as well, as I receive Division of Vocational Rehabilitation funding, which was also cut in half on the federal level. All of these cuts are mind boggling, especially for someone who has no other source of income because they have a far more difficult time finding a job due to mental or physical disability.

Among other things cut were Medicaid and Medicare. For a vast number of people, such as myself, Medicaid is necessary to pay for medical bills and the ever-rising cost of medications.

These recent cuts and past ones were done in an attempt to bring down the deficit, but they will be a moot point as long as our government keeps up this campaign of modern day imperialism in Iraq, which has a price tag surpassing $400 billion.

These cuts may never bring down the deficit, but will for sure serve the interests of corporations well by leading to privatization of programs such as public education.

Peter Adamczak
Junior, Psychology

Resources wasted fighting smoking ban

The only belief I will ever call wrong is the belief some have in taking away the choice of another. That is what America is all about. As a proud quitter of smoking, I made a very positive choice to stop inhaling fatal chemicals.

Even when I was a smoker, I was conscientious of those around me who didn't appreciate breathing the air I was polluting. Now, I'm hanging out at the 8th Note for the first time and the topic of everyone's conversation is their right to smoke.

Since I wish everyone could have their way and feel comfortable in the establishments they frequent, I can't argue those views.

However, in response to the “New smoking ban unfair” article in the recent Post issue (Feb. 15), I quote, "We shouldn't treat smokers any differently because they're doing something detrimental to their health. If we used those grounds alone for banning smoking, would we also limit where people can sit down and eat a fatty meal?"

Come on, friend, where've you been? There's no such thing as secondhand saturated fat. I have a really hard time sympathizing with those who say it's a personal choice they've made for themselves when they're also hindering the lungs of others.

Also, I found the 8th Note to be a very enjoyable place to chill. However, it seems with all the pro-smoking friction there, the coffee's only so cheap so students can afford their cancer sticks. Non-smoking students deserve cheap coffee too.

Therefore, while I don't necessarily disagree with one's choice to step outside and smoke a cigarette, I choose to disagree with the time, energy and money spent on this counteractive pro-smoking movement.

Besides which, I would guess that half of these people signing this petition haven’t educated themselves on different viewpoints surrounding this topic or even read the Post article they're responding to as I personally observed.

Or maybe they're just insensitive. It's clear that they love their cigarettes and don't want anybody telling them they can't have any.

I personally am for a better world. If someone could prove to me any benefit tobacco has on this earth, it may be worth wasting some more of my time on. My position here is not to come between a smoker and their cigarettes as I know I would get nowhere with that approach.

I would just appreciate if a few of the pro-smoking activists would view this movement as a considerate cleaner air movement. I know better than to be anti-anything so smoke your lungs black. I may even ask for a drag every now and again.

But try to see through the smoke clouds to cleaner, healthier air for all instead of asking non-smokers to accommodate you. Oh, and rather than tossing your butt on the ground, trash it. That would begin to make a big difference.

Kristin Hilt

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