Help with LTTE. Do you think this will work?

[woodsprite]

I know a person who wrote in and had her letter published, saying that we should be thanking * for the recent drop in gas prices. She's a die hard pub, and for the life of me I can't understand it. It's really been bothering me.

This is her letter (printed on 9/11 of all days):
> Give Bush some credit for the falling gasoline prices
>
> I just wanted to say "Thank you very much" to George W. Bush for the lower gas
> prices we are now receiving.
>
>I urge everyone who complained about our president causing the prices to rise,
>to thank him for the prices coming down.
-----------------------------------

I've composed this. Do you think it stands a chance? I was trying to keep it short, but is there something big that I glossed over in my anger?

************
There are people who believe we should be thanking the President for the falling gas prices, among other things.

If that's the case, shouldn't we also be thanking him for ignoring the August security bulletin
which warned of airplane attacks from Bin Laden's followers? Should we thank him for effectively hunting down Osama Bin Laden or for saying that he could care less where he was? Should he be thanked for fabricating connections between Iraq. the 9/11 hijackers and WMDs inorder to bolster support for the war? Should we be thanking him for leaking a covert CIA agent's name to the media, effectively blowing her cover, ruining a life-long career AND shutting down her division's investigation which did not support the administration's theory of WMD in Iraq?

Should grieving parents thank him for almost 3000 American sons and daughters who have lost their lives in this illegal war? Should we thank him for giving the rich additional tax breaks and shelters, while he is dismantling programs that help the less fortunate in America? Should we be thanking him for playing the guitar and eating cake while the citizens of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi drowned? Should we thank him for selling off national lands and parks to oil, lumber and mining interests. Should we thank him for wanting to put our ports, thus also port security, into the hands of Dubai Ports? Should we thank him for the over 700 signing statements he has issued since he has become President, essentially putting him above the law? Should we be thanking him that many of our public schools are now "teaching to the test" and leaving children behind?

Should all the Seniors in the US thank him for the proposed dismantling of Social Security and the changes and cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. And finally, should our Veterans thank him for the cuts to their medical and other benefits?

I certainly will not! Will you?

[Goblinmonger]

1. I think the problem with the orig LTTE

is that she is seriously saying we should thank Bush for gasoline that is $2.60/gallon. Holy shit. Do I think him while I am bent over holding my ankles and he paddles me? "Thank you, sir, may I have another."

This original LTTE is a prime example of the idiots that the gas companies hope are out there. Raise gas higher than before, drop it a little so people are happy, raise it even higher still, drop it a little but not as low as before, raise it again.

[AndyA]

2. Surely these people aren't so short sighted as to believe the price

of gas is actually going to STAY down, are they?

Surely they can't have already forgotten what they were paying for gas less than a month ago? And what they were paying all Summer long.

Surely they can't have not realized that gas has still gone up considerably since before Bush took office.

Surely they haven't forgotten that Bush is a former oil man (kind of, he didn't make any money, but stole from others).

Oh never mind, these people can't breathe and blink at the same time without thinking about it. Their tiny little brains are at full capacity just keeping the autonomic functions going.

Idiots. The rest of us should not have to suffer the penalty for their stupidity.

[woodsprite]

3. Today there is one from her that says anyone in America can have

affordable health insurance, just like her. All they have to do is look in the yellow pages. Ya know. How the Canadian health care system is no good and how Canadian docs are coming over to the US because they can make more money. (wonder if she read her own LTTE?).

[rfranklin]

4. Your letter has too many facts about too many things....

Keep it simple, using one or two facts to skewer the moran who wrote the original letter and possibly make readers think.

Perhaps you should say that people should really thank the Arab sheiks and the oil company execs who are lowering the price of gas to get Republicans elected. Once they accomplish that, they will be able to safely double the price of gas again.

[CrispyQ]

5. This makes me wanna puke...

"I just wanted to say "Thank you very much" to George W. Bush for the lower gas prices we are now receiving."

It sounds so muck like "Thanks be to G-d for the boutiful goodness we are about to receive."

:puke:

:grr:

[rhiannon55]

6. Good letter, but watch the word count

No matter how good your argument is, newspaper editors are usually sticklers for word limits...

[woodsprite]

9. Yeah. I can alway put the rest online. They allow that in 'Comments' n/t

[gratuitous]

7. Hit her back where she writes

How does the writer figure that gas prices lower? When Bush came into office, he was all upset about prices hitting $1.50 a gallon, and scolded the Clinton administration for not doing more. Gasoline has since doubled in price at the pump, and only recently (just as the elections are coming up, imagine that!) began inching back downward.

I for one am not rejoicing at at 73% rise in gas prices over the last five years. And unless you're the CEO of a big oil company, the chances are pretty good that you shouldn't be happy about it, either.

[Clark2008]

8. Short, sweet and to the point.

I think the OP should use this one (I worked for newspapers for 12 years and this would be more apt to be printed than a longer letter).