I would like to thank Mr. Lowell Popham for his response to my letter concerning Mr. Romney’s lack of military service and thank him for his service. I do not think military service is necessary to be president but I do think a person who supports both the war and the draft should be willing to put on the uniform. Mitt Romney is trying to rewrite his own history from having no intention of signing up to “I longed to be fighting in Viet Nam.” I have more respect for Bill Clinton because he opposed the war and was consistent in his belief. President Obama is of a different generation with an all volunteer military and has nothing to do with my views on Romney’s character.

Based on the opinion columns written by Mike McClellan, I have come to the conclusion that he is of little understanding of the principles of tea party members. While I am not a tea party member, I certainly subscribe to the ideas they represent. For McClellan to debase a group of people who have opinions that do not agree with his own by referring to them in terms that he hopes will make them look small only illuminates his lack of understanding. If McClellan would open his eyes to the truth, he would realize that this country and most of the states are going broke and maybe tea party ideas can save us.

Charlie Osburn seems a bit one sided when he discusses how Mitt Romney failed to serve in the military when all he had to do was sign up with him in 1969. I guess Charlie had not heard that Bill Clinton failed to sign up and used college deferments to avoid the draft. Maybe it will come as a surprise to Charlie that Barack Obama decided against joining the military as well. If Charlie honestly thinks non-military service disqualifies a candidate for the Presidency, he probably should not have voted for Clinton or Obama. I do want to thank Charlie for serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. He and I are brothers. I served with Howe Co. 3rd Battalion 1st Marine Regiment in the Korean war.

The readers of Mike McClellan’s recent piece on the opinion page should be asking Mike why he has neglected to include some facts that do not support the re-election of progressive candidates. Mike neglected to inform you that the Dow exceeded 14,000 points in September 2007 after the Democrats took control of the House and Senate and handed control of the financial markets to Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. As a result of the expertise of these two and the uncertainty of Obama’s election, investors pulled back and the market swooned.

The readers of Mike McClellan’s latest piece on the Opinion page should be asking Mike why he has neglected to include some facts that do not support the re-election of progressive candidates. Mike neglected to inform you that the Dow exceeded 14,000 points in September 2007 after the Democrats took control of the House and Senate and handed control of the financial markets to Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. As a result of the expertise of these two and the uncertainty of Obama’s election, investors pulled back and the market swooned.

In his letter, Don Bevineau bemoans the loss of union membership since 1945. I wonder if it has occurred to him that unions have been their own worst enemy. Unions reward tenure rather than performance.

We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on issues of interest to East Valley residents. Submissions should be no longer than 300 words, factually accurate and original thoughts of the writer. Please be brief and include name, address, city and phone number for verification. Letters and comments may be edited for clarity and length.

 I read with disbelief a recent story that said university presidents’ salaries are on the rise. What in God’s name makes these people worth more than the Department of Economic Security budget?

We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on issues of interest to East Valley residents. Submissions should be no longer than 300 words, factually accurate and original thoughts of the writer. Please be brief and include name, address, city and phone number for verification. Letters and comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Why is it that our legislators just do not get it? Recently Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, was quoted in the Arizona Daily Sun as saying “Education does not create jobs.” I guess Biggs does not consider being a teacher a job. Nor does he consider he was educated by the created jobs of educators. Biggs is showing exactly what he is made of. He is willing to make cuts in education because it does not create jobs.

We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on issues of interest to East Valley residents. Submissions should be no longer than 300 words, factually accurate and original thoughts of the writer. Please be brief and include name, address, city and phone number for verification. Letters and call-in comments may be edited for clarity and length.

We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on issues of interest to East Valley residents. Submissions should be no longer than 300 words, factually accurate and original thoughts of the writer. Please be brief and include name, address, city and phone number for verification. Letters and call-in comments may be edited for clarity and length.

We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on issues of interest to East Valley residents. Submissions should be no longer than 300 words, factually accurate and original thoughts of the writer. Please be brief and include name, address, city and phone number for verification. Letters and call-in comments may be edited for clarity and length.

Editor's Note: These letters to the editor have been sorted by topic by the Tribune editorial staff in an effort to allow readers to read varied opinions on the issues, candidates, and other circumstances surrounding the 2012 general election. These submissions are the opinions of the author, not the Tribune, and have not been edited for grammar or content.