Letters to the Editor 06-15-2006
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Amber Alert - Immigration - Criminal Housing - Silver Lake Response
Amber Alert
Editor, Times-Union:I was appalled when I contacted a local television station (Channel 16 WNDU) and asked why they had not relayed an Amber Alert that had been run across another television station (FOX 28). I found it very odd that I was informed that it was not something they would run because it did not affect our area even though it was a statewide broadcast. It is not as though the news station did not have the information about the Amber Alert. When asked, I was told that they did have it and knew about it. How much of their time would it have taken to broadcast the information about two missing children?
I was informed though that because the children had been reported missing in the southern part of the state that they would not broadcast the information across their nightly news. Which, in a way, I could have been more understanding, but since they were broadcasting the news live I did not see the harm. These children are missing and with a dangerous man, no one has an idea where these children are as of this moment and Indiana is the only state that is under an Amber Alert. I may not be as smart as the television producers, but I would assume that because we are the only state to be affected, and that both the county in which I live and the county of the television station are affected, that someone would care enough about these two children and make a mention of it.
I just find it very hard to believe that someone could be so self-centered as to not broadcast a simple alert that could save these children. I feel that it a privilege to help when something of this nature happens. I am not saying that we have found them as of yet, but because of this station we have a lot of people that are not even aware of that is going on. By this station refusing to broadcast this message, we may not be able to find these children now.
I would really like to know whatever happened to reaching out and helping others. I just really can not understand why this was not important to the television station. So, in closing, I would like to see someone stand up and taking responsibility for what happened, and for the sake of those children I hope that someone finds them soon.
Sarah Beigh, via e-mail
Warsaw
Immigration
Editor, Times-Union:Do our politicians care for anything other than their own power and wealth?
On the illegal immigration issue, nothing has been done but window dressing and patronizing the electorate. I have personally contacted Mr. Souder via e-mail and phone (I talked to one of his aides) about the illegal alien issue and the subsequent loss of jobs, lowering of income for a very large segment of our country. He did send a letter stating he was for building a wall and he has run ads about the same. Yet, I have noticed one thing he will not address, though repeatedly asked, is the issue of what to do with those already here and what to do to discourage those from entering in the future.
Under the "Bush/Kennedy/Pelosi" plan, those that have broken immigration laws, that employ identity theft (false social security cards), given false statements to obtain employment all will be given amnesty, while the doors are opened to another 60 to 100 million over the next 20 years. What effect will this have on the wages of those who were born here, spent their lives working and paying taxes, and lived according to the laws of the land?
The solution to the illegal alien problem is simple, but neither the President, the Senate, nor apparently our local Congressman will do it. All that needs to be done is to eliminate the drawing card of employment for illegals. 1. Eliminate all services for all non-citizens who are not here legally. 2.Send out a notice to all employers that, in say two weeks or one month, the government will begin to enforce the laws they promised to enforce after the 1986 amnesty. That they will go to the employers, check the records of their employees and start fining them for all "undocumented" workers. And make the fines high enough that the companies cannot just treat it as another "cost of doing business." Start with $1,000 for the first incident, $5,000 the next, then $20,000 thereafter. 3. Don't give the illegals the right to free legal counsel at public expense so they can flood the courts with fighting the laws of our country. Then the immigration problem will take care of itself. There will be no mass deportations, no furor about the mistreatment of the poor unfortunates. There won't even have to be any major increase in government personnel (though I grant it will take more than the 400 currently employed by the federal government in this capacity to cover the entire nation).
If the above is done, stand back. Wages that have been depressed for years will go up as the employers actually have to compete for American jobs with real American wages. The economy will boom as the pent-up buying demand is released and "Joe Sixpack" actually has the wherewithal to go out and spend.
Jonathon Kerkhoff, via e-mail
Warsaw
Criminal Housing
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to know who had the bright idea to take a beautiful home and turn it into a half-way house for criminals?
Did anyone consider the location or consult with the surrounding neighbors to see if they opposed the idea of having criminals right in their own backyard?
I think the neighbors, citizens and others in this community need to let their voice be heard that we do not want criminals living beside us.
The jail recently added on, so why are these criminals not being housed in a facility more suited to accommodating them - locks and bars with jailers to keep track of them?
This means criminals will be living next door to elderly people, a couple blocks from an elementary school, you, your family and your children.
This is the equivalent of building a fox farm around a chicken coop - an accident waiting to happen.
Melinda Zorn, via e-mail
Warsaw
Silver Lake Response
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to address this letter to the citizens of the town of Silver Lake.
First of all, I am truly sorry that our town keeps getting bad publicity from certain members of our community. This has been going on now for 2-1/2 years and I would have thought that these people would have gotten over their losses and gotten on with their lives. But nevertheless, our police department and fire department are far from being out of money. That statement was totally misconstrued. I have seen a lot of figures printed in the paper, and quite honestly I have not gone through and checked them all because I have more important things to do. There is, however, one figure that I did check. That figure would be for copies of documents were obtained by a previous council member that total $287.90 over the last 2-1/2 years.
I am not writing this letter to bash anyone or sling any mud. I just feel that enough is enough. Myself, the town council and the town employees are working very hard to bring businesses to our community. This will not be accomplished if Silver Lake continues to get bad publicity. We have a great opportunity for our housing industry when the new biodiesel plant gets up and running. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am very excited about all of the new changes that could happen in our little town.
Furthermore, if any citizen in Silver Lake has any questions or concerns about any subject, please do not hesitate to contact myself, the town council or a town employee. All documents are public record and I will be happy to let anyone view them. I know that I have made some mistakes during my first term in office. But I have learned from them and I have certainly not done anything that would be considered illegal.
In closing, I would like to thank the people of the town of Silver Lake for all of their support during these trying times. I hope that you are satisfied with the services that you have received during my term in office. Again, if there is anything that I can do to answer any questions, please call the office at 260-352-2120.
Angela Glass, via e-mail
Silver Lake Clerk-Treasurer
Silver Lake
[[In-content Ad]]
Latest News
E-Editions
- Amber Alert - Immigration - Criminal Housing - Silver Lake Response
Amber Alert
Editor, Times-Union:I was appalled when I contacted a local television station (Channel 16 WNDU) and asked why they had not relayed an Amber Alert that had been run across another television station (FOX 28). I found it very odd that I was informed that it was not something they would run because it did not affect our area even though it was a statewide broadcast. It is not as though the news station did not have the information about the Amber Alert. When asked, I was told that they did have it and knew about it. How much of their time would it have taken to broadcast the information about two missing children?
I was informed though that because the children had been reported missing in the southern part of the state that they would not broadcast the information across their nightly news. Which, in a way, I could have been more understanding, but since they were broadcasting the news live I did not see the harm. These children are missing and with a dangerous man, no one has an idea where these children are as of this moment and Indiana is the only state that is under an Amber Alert. I may not be as smart as the television producers, but I would assume that because we are the only state to be affected, and that both the county in which I live and the county of the television station are affected, that someone would care enough about these two children and make a mention of it.
I just find it very hard to believe that someone could be so self-centered as to not broadcast a simple alert that could save these children. I feel that it a privilege to help when something of this nature happens. I am not saying that we have found them as of yet, but because of this station we have a lot of people that are not even aware of that is going on. By this station refusing to broadcast this message, we may not be able to find these children now.
I would really like to know whatever happened to reaching out and helping others. I just really can not understand why this was not important to the television station. So, in closing, I would like to see someone stand up and taking responsibility for what happened, and for the sake of those children I hope that someone finds them soon.
Sarah Beigh, via e-mail
Warsaw
Immigration
Editor, Times-Union:Do our politicians care for anything other than their own power and wealth?
On the illegal immigration issue, nothing has been done but window dressing and patronizing the electorate. I have personally contacted Mr. Souder via e-mail and phone (I talked to one of his aides) about the illegal alien issue and the subsequent loss of jobs, lowering of income for a very large segment of our country. He did send a letter stating he was for building a wall and he has run ads about the same. Yet, I have noticed one thing he will not address, though repeatedly asked, is the issue of what to do with those already here and what to do to discourage those from entering in the future.
Under the "Bush/Kennedy/Pelosi" plan, those that have broken immigration laws, that employ identity theft (false social security cards), given false statements to obtain employment all will be given amnesty, while the doors are opened to another 60 to 100 million over the next 20 years. What effect will this have on the wages of those who were born here, spent their lives working and paying taxes, and lived according to the laws of the land?
The solution to the illegal alien problem is simple, but neither the President, the Senate, nor apparently our local Congressman will do it. All that needs to be done is to eliminate the drawing card of employment for illegals. 1. Eliminate all services for all non-citizens who are not here legally. 2.Send out a notice to all employers that, in say two weeks or one month, the government will begin to enforce the laws they promised to enforce after the 1986 amnesty. That they will go to the employers, check the records of their employees and start fining them for all "undocumented" workers. And make the fines high enough that the companies cannot just treat it as another "cost of doing business." Start with $1,000 for the first incident, $5,000 the next, then $20,000 thereafter. 3. Don't give the illegals the right to free legal counsel at public expense so they can flood the courts with fighting the laws of our country. Then the immigration problem will take care of itself. There will be no mass deportations, no furor about the mistreatment of the poor unfortunates. There won't even have to be any major increase in government personnel (though I grant it will take more than the 400 currently employed by the federal government in this capacity to cover the entire nation).
If the above is done, stand back. Wages that have been depressed for years will go up as the employers actually have to compete for American jobs with real American wages. The economy will boom as the pent-up buying demand is released and "Joe Sixpack" actually has the wherewithal to go out and spend.
Jonathon Kerkhoff, via e-mail
Warsaw
Criminal Housing
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to know who had the bright idea to take a beautiful home and turn it into a half-way house for criminals?
Did anyone consider the location or consult with the surrounding neighbors to see if they opposed the idea of having criminals right in their own backyard?
I think the neighbors, citizens and others in this community need to let their voice be heard that we do not want criminals living beside us.
The jail recently added on, so why are these criminals not being housed in a facility more suited to accommodating them - locks and bars with jailers to keep track of them?
This means criminals will be living next door to elderly people, a couple blocks from an elementary school, you, your family and your children.
This is the equivalent of building a fox farm around a chicken coop - an accident waiting to happen.
Melinda Zorn, via e-mail
Warsaw
Silver Lake Response
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to address this letter to the citizens of the town of Silver Lake.
First of all, I am truly sorry that our town keeps getting bad publicity from certain members of our community. This has been going on now for 2-1/2 years and I would have thought that these people would have gotten over their losses and gotten on with their lives. But nevertheless, our police department and fire department are far from being out of money. That statement was totally misconstrued. I have seen a lot of figures printed in the paper, and quite honestly I have not gone through and checked them all because I have more important things to do. There is, however, one figure that I did check. That figure would be for copies of documents were obtained by a previous council member that total $287.90 over the last 2-1/2 years.
I am not writing this letter to bash anyone or sling any mud. I just feel that enough is enough. Myself, the town council and the town employees are working very hard to bring businesses to our community. This will not be accomplished if Silver Lake continues to get bad publicity. We have a great opportunity for our housing industry when the new biodiesel plant gets up and running. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am very excited about all of the new changes that could happen in our little town.
Furthermore, if any citizen in Silver Lake has any questions or concerns about any subject, please do not hesitate to contact myself, the town council or a town employee. All documents are public record and I will be happy to let anyone view them. I know that I have made some mistakes during my first term in office. But I have learned from them and I have certainly not done anything that would be considered illegal.
In closing, I would like to thank the people of the town of Silver Lake for all of their support during these trying times. I hope that you are satisfied with the services that you have received during my term in office. Again, if there is anything that I can do to answer any questions, please call the office at 260-352-2120.
Angela Glass, via e-mail
Silver Lake Clerk-Treasurer
Silver Lake
[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092