Letters to the Editor 03-29-2004
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Required Response - More Questions - Astonished
Required Response
Editor, Times-Union:A recent letter from a Mr. Durgin requires a response. He claimed to be responding to a letter from Jay Rigdon. Mr. Rigdon is my law firm partner. Unlike Mr. Rigdon, I have been a registered Republican for most of my adult life.
The subject of Mr. Rigdon's letter was the use by President Bush of the September 11 disaster to promote his re-election. It is a fair issue for comment and discussion. Instead, Durgin evidently does not care about facts or read letters before composing a response. He responds by both distortion and falsehood. There is nothing in Mr. Rigdon's letter criticizing casualties "caused by our troops in Iraq." The only mention of Iraq is in the context of our national foreign policy as it relates to that country and terrorism.
I have family members who have been in Iraq as reservists. I know that casualties happen in combat and in terrorist attacks. I also know that Mr. Rigdon supports our military, as I do.
The "innocent casualties" as political tools, mentioned by Mr. Rigdon, are the victims of September 11. Any reasonable reader would comprehend that.
Just because Mr.Durgin likes the leadership of our president does not give leave to lie, distort and make personal attacks. (Even though that appears to be a standard of many editorial letter writers.) And the use of images of September 11 for political advantage, by ANY politician, is certainly a fair subject for discussion, if not rightly criticized, regardless of party membership.
Richard Helm
Warsaw
via e-mail
More Questions
Editor, Times-Union:I came away with more questions than answers after Monday night's Warsaw school board meeting. Mr. Yeiter presented figures comparing individual capacity using Indiana Prime Time data, current enrollment and proposed transition enrollment. I calculated the percentages ... and was appalled.
School Capacity Current enrollment New enrollment
Madison 453 446, 98% capacity 573, 126% capacity
Eisenhower 613 527, 86% capacity 628, 102% capacity
Washington 365 405, 111% capacity 544, 149% capacity
Harrison 613 597, 97% capacity 597, 97% capacity
Leesburg 425 465,109% capacity 484, 114% capacity
Jefferson 278 312, 112% capacity 324,117% capacity
Lincoln 430 443, 103% capacity 482, 112% capacity
According to the school board, no transfers have been allowed to Harrison during the last two years due to overcrowded conditions. Currently, they are at 97 percent capacity. The good news is, after the transition, Harrison will still be at 97 percent capacity; the least crowded school. The bad news is, Harrison will be the only school under 102 percent capacity. Will this overcrowding affect your children? Of course it will! The school board will then respond to "public pressure" by voting to build more schools. Will that affect your taxes? Certainly! Why not avoid this unnecessary cycle? Call your school board representatives and tell them to halt transitions plans until a logical, well-thought-out plan can be implemented. Then call Dr. McGuire's office, 267-3238, and let them know what you think. You pay his salary; it's time he listened. And, by the way, why not write or call Senator Kent Adams, State Representative David Wolkins and Bill Ruppel to thank them for writing to Dr. McGuire.
George Klinger
Warsaw
via e-mail
Astonished
Editor, Times-Union:I am astonished at what I read in the paper. I am astonished that our legislators asked WCS to delay the school closings for a year. Did they offer more money to the school corporation so that they could postpone the closings? Of course not. When the previous round of cuts took place, teachers were laid off at the high school and the elementary counseling program was discontinued. Staff and patrons asked the legislators for help. They replied that there was no money to improve the situation and that the schools were on their own. Now that more cuts are necessary, our legislators suggest we wait. For what? Is the state's one billion-dollar budget deficit going to disappear and money for schools suddenly appear? No. In fact, one of the gubernatorial candidates has suggested that school funding may be flat-lined next year. Are they going to change the unfair school funding formula, so that Warsaw Schools are not punished? Rep. Wolkins proposed this before, and the General Assembly resoundingly defeated his proposal. If the schools are not closed, what will be cut instead? I personally have felt the impact of the previous cuts, when my colleague at AIMS was laid off, and my class load was increased 50 percent. I do not think that laying off more teachers or cutting more programs is a better solution.
I am astonished at some of the things written by others. One writer commented that the school board railroaded through the current building program. I attended all of the school board meetings when the building program was discussed. I listened as many staff, students and patrons spoke in favor of the program. Even the one school board member who did vote against it noted that not one person had spoken against it. No one organized a remonstrance petition against it. It seems to me that the board voted according to what the public wanted.
I am astonished that some of the same people who remonstrated to stop building two new elementary schools are now complaining that the elementary schools may be overcrowded next year.
Finally, I am astonished that as a community we cannot unite to make the best of a bad situation.
Alan Blakeley
Warsaw, via e-mail
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- Required Response - More Questions - Astonished
Required Response
Editor, Times-Union:A recent letter from a Mr. Durgin requires a response. He claimed to be responding to a letter from Jay Rigdon. Mr. Rigdon is my law firm partner. Unlike Mr. Rigdon, I have been a registered Republican for most of my adult life.
The subject of Mr. Rigdon's letter was the use by President Bush of the September 11 disaster to promote his re-election. It is a fair issue for comment and discussion. Instead, Durgin evidently does not care about facts or read letters before composing a response. He responds by both distortion and falsehood. There is nothing in Mr. Rigdon's letter criticizing casualties "caused by our troops in Iraq." The only mention of Iraq is in the context of our national foreign policy as it relates to that country and terrorism.
I have family members who have been in Iraq as reservists. I know that casualties happen in combat and in terrorist attacks. I also know that Mr. Rigdon supports our military, as I do.
The "innocent casualties" as political tools, mentioned by Mr. Rigdon, are the victims of September 11. Any reasonable reader would comprehend that.
Just because Mr.Durgin likes the leadership of our president does not give leave to lie, distort and make personal attacks. (Even though that appears to be a standard of many editorial letter writers.) And the use of images of September 11 for political advantage, by ANY politician, is certainly a fair subject for discussion, if not rightly criticized, regardless of party membership.
Richard Helm
Warsaw
via e-mail
More Questions
Editor, Times-Union:I came away with more questions than answers after Monday night's Warsaw school board meeting. Mr. Yeiter presented figures comparing individual capacity using Indiana Prime Time data, current enrollment and proposed transition enrollment. I calculated the percentages ... and was appalled.
School Capacity Current enrollment New enrollment
Madison 453 446, 98% capacity 573, 126% capacity
Eisenhower 613 527, 86% capacity 628, 102% capacity
Washington 365 405, 111% capacity 544, 149% capacity
Harrison 613 597, 97% capacity 597, 97% capacity
Leesburg 425 465,109% capacity 484, 114% capacity
Jefferson 278 312, 112% capacity 324,117% capacity
Lincoln 430 443, 103% capacity 482, 112% capacity
According to the school board, no transfers have been allowed to Harrison during the last two years due to overcrowded conditions. Currently, they are at 97 percent capacity. The good news is, after the transition, Harrison will still be at 97 percent capacity; the least crowded school. The bad news is, Harrison will be the only school under 102 percent capacity. Will this overcrowding affect your children? Of course it will! The school board will then respond to "public pressure" by voting to build more schools. Will that affect your taxes? Certainly! Why not avoid this unnecessary cycle? Call your school board representatives and tell them to halt transitions plans until a logical, well-thought-out plan can be implemented. Then call Dr. McGuire's office, 267-3238, and let them know what you think. You pay his salary; it's time he listened. And, by the way, why not write or call Senator Kent Adams, State Representative David Wolkins and Bill Ruppel to thank them for writing to Dr. McGuire.
George Klinger
Warsaw
via e-mail
Astonished
Editor, Times-Union:I am astonished at what I read in the paper. I am astonished that our legislators asked WCS to delay the school closings for a year. Did they offer more money to the school corporation so that they could postpone the closings? Of course not. When the previous round of cuts took place, teachers were laid off at the high school and the elementary counseling program was discontinued. Staff and patrons asked the legislators for help. They replied that there was no money to improve the situation and that the schools were on their own. Now that more cuts are necessary, our legislators suggest we wait. For what? Is the state's one billion-dollar budget deficit going to disappear and money for schools suddenly appear? No. In fact, one of the gubernatorial candidates has suggested that school funding may be flat-lined next year. Are they going to change the unfair school funding formula, so that Warsaw Schools are not punished? Rep. Wolkins proposed this before, and the General Assembly resoundingly defeated his proposal. If the schools are not closed, what will be cut instead? I personally have felt the impact of the previous cuts, when my colleague at AIMS was laid off, and my class load was increased 50 percent. I do not think that laying off more teachers or cutting more programs is a better solution.
I am astonished at some of the things written by others. One writer commented that the school board railroaded through the current building program. I attended all of the school board meetings when the building program was discussed. I listened as many staff, students and patrons spoke in favor of the program. Even the one school board member who did vote against it noted that not one person had spoken against it. No one organized a remonstrance petition against it. It seems to me that the board voted according to what the public wanted.
I am astonished that some of the same people who remonstrated to stop building two new elementary schools are now complaining that the elementary schools may be overcrowded next year.
Finally, I am astonished that as a community we cannot unite to make the best of a bad situation.
Alan Blakeley
Warsaw, via e-mail
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