Readers Write 6/15

IRAQ

New government should reimburse the U.S. now

Regarding “Iraq sees idea as ‘stupid’ ” (News, June 13), U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., suggested that once Iraq becomes prosperous, it could repay the U.S. for the money we spent in Iraq. The Iraqis have rejected that proposal, and say they should be compensated for the hardships they’ve endured.

The Iraq fiasco has cost Americans trillions of dollars, and while too much of it has been lost to corruption and incompetence, the U.S. has paid to build infrastructure, and train and equip Iraq’s military and police forces.

When Saddam Hussein was in power, he paid for these things with Iraq’s oil revenues. Where is that money going now? Are they spending our money?

I think today’s Iraqi government should reimburse us now — and pay the extra costs for us to stay at their request beyond our scheduled departure date.

Tony Gardner, Cumming

IMMIGRATION

Farm labor not only area where there’s a shortage

In recent AJC coverage, Georgia agribusiness complains that there’s a shortage of labor. There is no shortage of farm labor any more than there is a shortage of sports cars.

There is only a shortage of people willing to pay market rates. The growers of Georgia would have all the labor they need if they would set wages, benefits and working conditions comparable to other industries.

By the way, there’s a shortage of $1 iPads. Can the state look into that too, please?

Ben Ostrowsky, Atlanta

HEALTH CARE

Who has a choice of not getting sick or injured?

In her piece against mandated health care insurance, Karen Harned resorts to a ridiculous warning about government mandates on what fruit and vegetables we buy or how much we drive (“American spirit, health law at odds,” Opinion, June 11). She claims that “surely, there are other ways to fix the free rider problem,” but does not offer any.

Governments have forced drivers for years to buy car insurance. The usual argument that we have a choice of having or not having a car is actually an excellent point for the health care mandate.

We have a choice (even if sometimes only illusory) not to drive, but who has a choice of not getting sick or injured? If everybody suddenly had to drive a car, would we dismiss the car insurance requirement?

The choice in health care equivalent to driving or not driving is to live — or not to live.

Miroslav Marek, Atlanta

EDUCATION

Parents, politicians could help educators