Dear Sir,

In 1887 Alexander  Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior. “A democracy is always temporary in nature. It simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until  the time that  voters discover that they can vote themselves generous  gifts from the public treasury.  From that moment on, the majority always  votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse  over loose  fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by dictatorship.

Dear Sir,

After his sarcastic, unnecessary and totally insensitive statement, I wonder if Mitt Romney stayed around London long enough to witness what has to be one of the most spectacular Olympics, ever.

Dear Sir,

We are grateful for Jeanne Chaussee’s article in the Reporter about the new Dog Shelter.  However, many of the plans for our new shelter are still in the development phase. Not all the t’s are crossed and the i’s dotted.

Dear Sir,

I am 77 and have lived in Chapala for over 15 years. I have IMSS medical insurance and am pleased with it.  I do not have Medicare.  I own no property nor financial accounts in the United States.  I pay no state income tax since my domicile is here in Mexico. I do file and pay federal tax, but have gotten a refund every year for 15 years.  I am retired military but get no health benefits from them although I was promised back when I joined that I would.

Dear Sir,

Reporter headline:  “Putting the record straight, Chapala expats debunk mass exodus myth: ‘We’re staying put.’”

Dear Sir,

We recently arrived at the Guadalajara airport for our return flight to Toronto. We had purchased return tickets from United Airlines in December, which included a 220-dollar return airfare for our dog to travel with us in the cabin.