Letters to the Editor

D.C. Council pay raise a mistake

No sooner than the elections are over, the D.C. Council announces its intention to give itself a walloping pay raise (“D.C. Council eyes 24 percent pay raise,” Page 1, Wednesday). This is classic bait-and-switch. But, you may ask, don’t they deserve it?

What do we citizens get in return for the “hard work” of the these uninterested philanthropists? A long-festering, corrupt school system riddled with waste, fraud and abuse.

But wait, there’s more. To everyone’s surprise, we now discover tens of millions of dollars of waste, fraud and abuse in D.C.’s management of its Medicaid program (“Probing D.C. Medicaid costs,” Editorial, Wednesday). Is this the “hard work” our council members keep talking about?

FRANCOIS KRODEL

Washington

Ellison and the Koran

In the flap over the oath of office being taken by Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, an avowed Muslim, I think it not only understandable but preferable for him to take his oath on the Koran (“Lawmaker to take oath on Koran, faces flak,” Nation, Friday). I am a Christian, and an oath sworn or affirmed with my hand on the Bible carries weight. That is the sole purpose of using the Bible as such, because to a Christian the Bible is filled with Holy Writ.

The Islamic faith holds the Koran in the same esteem as Christians do the Bible, and if a Muslim swears to uphold, defend and protect the U.S. Constitution while holding his hand on the Bible, I would not think it would have nearly the spiritual binding power that it would if he were allowed to use the Koran instead, or nothing at all. In my opinion, it is more likely Mr. Ellison will take his oath seriously if he is given it with the Koran than with either the Bible or nothing at all.

NORMAN HENDRICKSON

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