Letters to the Editor 08-24-2004
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Bible Context - Endicott Investigation - Miffed At School Board - Labor Day Telethon - Love Your Enemies - Prejudice - Coulter Column - Lazy Managing Editor
Bible Context
Editor, Times-Union:In a reply to a previous letter to you, I was accused of taking the Bible out of context. I dispute such an assertion, but if I did so, perhaps Mr. Wickens could further elucidate. That gentleman stated that no writer to you had quoted Leviticus 20:13, which paraphrased loosely imposes a death penalty among those who engage in homosexual behavior. I did read such a letter in this column about a month ago.
I was also taken to task for expressing my belief that gay, lesbian or transgendered people are created that way. I did not quote Leviticus to support my point; my knowledge of this stems from my work online as a counselor/minister to gay, lesbian and transgendered people. Being other than heterosexual is not a choice.
The people who don't fit in with societal expectations experience vastly greater rates of substance abuse, suicide and depression principally because of such societal familial rejection and condemnation. So much for "love thy neighbor as thy own."
I also dispute the notion that our country is a Christian nation. To state that one religion is the basis of the USA is anathema to me and goes against the grain of what our nation is founded upon, i.e., liberty and freedom for all.
I am quite weary of the Rush Limbaugh "compassionate conservative Christian" crowd using the Bible to spread their message of hatred, divisiveness and derision.
To this crowd, "Liberal" is a terrible label. May I remind those of such mindset that the most liberal man in human history gave his life on a cross at Calvary some 2000 years ago.
Jon E. Treesh
Milford
Endicott Investigation
Editor, Times-Union:Here it is almost two years ago that a family member of mine named Heather Endicott is found dead in a pool of water and it seems there is no interest in her death. Sir, my name is Edward L. Endicott, I share with my family the Endicotts a proud heritage which it may not be known to you; It is the pioneer family of America and the trek west; I know of the reason that I am in California now and I know why my family left Massachusetts back in 1698; I know about the times during the Revolutionary War when we were in the Carolinas and when we migrated to Kentucky; I know the hell we lived with in Kentucky with Dan Boone. We still have his compass and sun glass in a family member's collection there in Indiana.
It appears to me that you don't know anything about the Endicott family. Your community doesn't know that my family was there before most of you were. We broke the trail along with so many looking for that greener pasture.
I might also tell you that the family is rather proud of our gramps, Gov. John Endicott, the founding father of New England, 1628. The history is well written and I live now here because of him. You don't want to tell me that Heather Endicott is of no concern to the community. If that so be the case, then I shall take it on myself to do some research and enlighten your community to how you all came about. In most cases my family was there with the first to settle the community. It goes on to my own birth in 1933 in a faraway place called Oklahoma, now in California. That some 375 years trek from Massachusetts to where I live now is a trek that caused me to be part Indian. You think perhaps I don't love my family members because of my dad's love of an Indian woman named Lucille Smith. I can go on and tell you all about the trek westward and that includes our passing through Indiana. What I want from you is a little bit of facts concerning my cousin Heather Endicott's case. Even though I never met her, I know the events of her family's past and why she was a part of your community to this day. Her family at one time gave you the love of God and the will to fight for what you now have.
I look forth to a report of the finding and above all to let you know that Heather Endicott has loving family members concerned.
Edward L. Endicott
Greenwood, Calif.
via e-mail
Miffed At School Board
Editor, Times-Union:Well, well, well. Dr. McGuire now finds himself in more litigation. This time over the idea in "that something wrong had been done." Yes, something, just something had to be wrong. It couldn't possibly be true that he was proven the records were public. Certainly not he. He couldn't just apologize to the women who've served the corporation that yes, indeed the great "Dr." McGuire had been wrong. I use the term "doctor" in quotations because he's shown nothing to want to improve the quality of education in the school system he represents. I find it very amusing, nay, comical he would be sued because once again he fails to admit to being wrong. Sounds very much like the situation where Atwood/Claypool/Silver Lake parents tried in vain to show not just him but the entire board every excuse they came up with was wrong for closing the elementaries. Not too long ago the good "doc" helped line his pockets with more precious funds that as of the last budget meeting proves the money in the general fund is going to show as a shortage. Not to mention Ms. Folk was rather rude and crass to the gentleman who pointed out the board holds elected positions, not permanent ones.
So much is so wrong with this board. So much is so wrong with this corporation. Two women who were accepting of the "reprimand" they received because the "good doctor" had just felt that using information that was public to better her son's education just had be let go. They didn't take it "seriously enough." Heaven forbid "Dr." McGuire find yet another person to be argumentative with him when it comes to standing up for what they believe in. Not to mention the fact this seems to be the only way to get the "good doctor's" attention. This would pose a very interesting thought. If two women were able to find an attorney who sees this to be wrong, logic would then lend itself to the idea that perhaps the schools and towns themselves might have some legal recourse. Of course there's been litigation previously on behalf of one mighty and courageous association. I suppose Warsaw parents are willing to roll over to the "good doc's" demands and just roll with the punches. As for those "bedroom communities" our "Dr." McGuire refers to, they are not so easily overcome. My true disgust and disdain for this board save Mr. England and Mr. Yeiter is growing daily. And the true sufferers of this situation, the children, who have had their voices raised and ignored, and their spirits pierced by this board will forever be the true causalities. You remember the children, "Dr." McGuire, they ones who by their numbers attending these schools pay the salary you choose to raise? Kudos to those who have spoken up, picketed and attended board meetings. It's high time this board is held accountable. An inquiring mind would like to know the steps necessary to recall this board? If we can do it for a presidential election, I would certainly say we can do for a mindless dribble of a board.
Jama Brown
Proud Silver Lake Elementary Graduate
Silver Lake
via e-mail
Labor Day Telethon
Editor, Times-Union:Richard Wagner has agreed to be the Pledge Center coordinator for the 2004 Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon. In Warsaw's continued support for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Rice Ford has agreed to host the pledge center site for our upcoming telethon.
Over Labor Day weekend, Richard will organize all activities for the pledge center in Warsaw. This includes fielding all of the incoming calls for pledges during the telethon. He is in need of volunteers. This year's telethon phone number is 574-267-8151. In addition to many other responsibilities, he will be trying to raise funds for the individuals served by the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
With your help, we will be able to continue providing services to individuals in Kosciusko County with muscular dystrophy. Your donation will support
n Our local MDA clinic at Lutheran Hospital
n The purchase and repair of wheelchairs and leg braces
n Annual summer camp for youngsters with muscular dystrophy
n Monthly ALS support groups
n MDA's lifesaving mission of research for causes and cures.
Thank you for your assistance with the 2004 Warsaw Pledge Center. If you have any questions and/or need further information, feel free to call me at 260-486-6698.
Amanda Brzozowski
Program Coordinator
Love Your Enemies
Editor, Times-Union:Muslims do not know and worship my God. Would that their Allah would tell them to love their enemies (us) and do good to their enemies (us), like our God does in our Bible. This isn't in their Koran, which reads that those who will not convert to Islam are infidels to be eliminated.
How sad, even pathetic, to see Muslims, who are in great need of our God, ignorant of their need of the love of our God. He loves His world, yes His world, and everyone in it, including Muslims.
Muslims are sincere in their religion, but wrong. The truth is in our Christianity. It is in our loving Savior Jesus Christ. Our holy book, the Bible, reads "He is the Way, the Truth and the Life." Great numbers of us viewed "The Passion of Jesus Christ" movie, which revealed how much God loved us, and Muslims, other religions, and all people, by sending a Savior to save us from sin and the death from sin. We all need this, and God's forgiveness and love.
Muslims are ignorant of their great need. No one is so wrong as those who are wrong and fail to know they are wrong as are Muslims. They are enslaved by Islam; no freedom, no love, no forgiveness as our God gives us in accepting and believing what Jesus did in paying for our sins to free us, forgive us and give us loving comfort.
Muslims should let us love them, not seek to eliminate us as infidels. We need to love all and share our Christian gospel to see Jesus, the light of God's world, and thereby escape their darkness.
Christian, are you and I ready to love our enemy, to love them into the kingdom of God?
C.L. Hendrix
Winona Lake
via e-mail
Prejudice
Editor, Times-Union:This letter is to inform the community and its patrons the prejudice that may be overlooked or misread.
My family and I on Friday, Aug. 13, went to our favorite restaurant, the same restaurant we visit at least once a week. As we enter I wave at a co-worker who also is dining. We get seated and receive our menu, by this time it is a couple minutes after 6 p.m. I notice my co-worker also gets seated. At 6:05, my co-worker received her water and plates and I her husband and young child are eating from the salad bar. At 6:10 we notice the waitress wiping off the tables around us glancing up at us three times as she is wiping. She walks by us and my husband and I notice that she has given us a look of disgust. My first thought was maybe our kids were being too loud. It is about 6:13 p.m., I thought to myself by 6:15 if no one comes to talk to us I will go up and ask to be waited on. My kids are getting louder, they are stating they are hungry. As we are waiting we notice three families getting seated and before they have sat down their waitress is behind them with their plates and water. 6:15 arrives, I thought to myself, what is the problem? There were waitresses standing around observing the crowd. I go up and ask one of the waitresses if we could get waited on. She stated, "Oh, she has not talked to you yet, I will get her and she will be right with you." It is 6:20 p.m. now and no waitress. My co-worker has received her food and is now eating. I will talk to the manager, I thought to myself. I go up and waited longer. By this time the same waitress who we observed cleaning the tables earlier is over at our table. I asked her what the problem was. Her excuse was she was on the phone with a difficult delivery call. I requested to speak to the manager. The manager did not apologize, did not give us an explanation of why we received such bad service. I requested a new waitress. That waitress did not apologize on behalf of the restaurant. Later we found out she did not want to be "belittled."
It is a week later, we have received an apology letter from the corporate office. I do not believe that is enough. They do not realize how much of a negative effect this type of service has on a person. I am hispanic and my husband is caucasian and I cannot help but wonder if that had anything to do with the bad service. I want to make the community aware of this type of situation and do not tolerate it. Speak up do not keep quiet. We all deserve the same type of service as the next person.
If only we would have received an explanation and apology from anyone from that restaurant on that day it would not have gotten to this point.
Christine Goodman
Pierceton
via e-mail
Coulter Column
Editor, Times-Union:In regard to your publication of columnist Ann Coulter and her reference to the Swift Boat Veteran debacle surrounding John Kerry's Bronze Star. Rather than get bogged down in the semantics of the story, I would simply like to point folks toward a related article on the front page of Wednesday's (8/18) Fort Wayne Journal Gazette and to a Web site, www.factcheck.org/, a Project of the Annenburg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
Too often people will read purported facts in Op-Ed pieces and take the information as truth without doing any research on their own.
The Annenburg Public Policy Center is dedicated to the truth and has absolutely no political agenda of its own. They seem to be willing dispute conservative as well as liberal bias.
Bringing us to Ann Coulter. Her abrasive style is often referred to as being very tongue-in-cheek. In her case she is tongue-in-cheek to a point she doesn't even make sense. I find her brand of extreme conservatism divisive and hateful. I can usually find a point or two in any conservative Op-Ed piece that I can agree with, but I find her rantings on the verge of desperate hysteria and incoherence. She seems to more than willing to pick up on any anti-liberal half-truth, expound upon it and scream it at us from her written pages. I urge readers to be willing to find things out for themselves before forming an opinion and not to subscribe to her rantings because she is telling you what you want to hear. I also urge the Times-Union to keep searching for quality Op-Ed journalists.
Ted Carter
Leesburg
via e-mail
Lazy Managing Editor
Editor, Times-Union:Again Mr. Gerard you show your laziness. One would think you are running an Internet blog page rather than a newspaper. Your News Views column Saturday ranted about freedom of the press rather than backing up your opinions with facts. You moan about too much spending and say nothing factual to back up your case. You don't like the new ladder truck. Fine, but give us some facts to support your argument that we don't need it. Have you researched other towns of our size and demographics and found that there are better alternatives? Have you investigated the local fire department and found that they are trying to pull a fast one and purchase equipment they don't need? Obtained mechanical records for the current ladder truck and found that its condition has been misrepresented? What are you basing your editorial on?
Again you refer to the city's health plan as "Cadillac." Do you base this solely on the upfront weekly cost to employees? If I sold you a new car to replace your ancient beater for $2,000 and you found that what I didn't tell you was that it would cost you $500 a month in other maintenance costs, would you consider it a Cadillac? As I stated before, city employees earn less than employees in other cities of the same size. They earn less than many local industry employees. They pay more in doctor visit co pays and prescription co-pays than many other governmental and industrial plans. I worked at Wal-Mart as a part-time employee and our plans were fairly close in benefits at that time. Like it or not, the city has to compete with other cities and the likes of the orthopedic industry for employees. I promise you that while many employees are grateful for the plan they have, we all have friends whose plans have better benefits at only marginally higher costs.
As for local governmental spending as a whole, I believe that our representatives have been frugal. With the exception of the school board boondoggle, which will probably be corrected in the next election, I can't think of any projects that have been irresponsible. I do know of some projects that were put off that cost us money (wastewater treatment plant being one), but then hindsight is 20/20.
Jim Martin
Leesburg
via e-mail
[[In-content Ad]]
- Bible Context - Endicott Investigation - Miffed At School Board - Labor Day Telethon - Love Your Enemies - Prejudice - Coulter Column - Lazy Managing Editor
Bible Context
Editor, Times-Union:In a reply to a previous letter to you, I was accused of taking the Bible out of context. I dispute such an assertion, but if I did so, perhaps Mr. Wickens could further elucidate. That gentleman stated that no writer to you had quoted Leviticus 20:13, which paraphrased loosely imposes a death penalty among those who engage in homosexual behavior. I did read such a letter in this column about a month ago.
I was also taken to task for expressing my belief that gay, lesbian or transgendered people are created that way. I did not quote Leviticus to support my point; my knowledge of this stems from my work online as a counselor/minister to gay, lesbian and transgendered people. Being other than heterosexual is not a choice.
The people who don't fit in with societal expectations experience vastly greater rates of substance abuse, suicide and depression principally because of such societal familial rejection and condemnation. So much for "love thy neighbor as thy own."
I also dispute the notion that our country is a Christian nation. To state that one religion is the basis of the USA is anathema to me and goes against the grain of what our nation is founded upon, i.e., liberty and freedom for all.
I am quite weary of the Rush Limbaugh "compassionate conservative Christian" crowd using the Bible to spread their message of hatred, divisiveness and derision.
To this crowd, "Liberal" is a terrible label. May I remind those of such mindset that the most liberal man in human history gave his life on a cross at Calvary some 2000 years ago.
Jon E. Treesh
Milford
Endicott Investigation
Editor, Times-Union:Here it is almost two years ago that a family member of mine named Heather Endicott is found dead in a pool of water and it seems there is no interest in her death. Sir, my name is Edward L. Endicott, I share with my family the Endicotts a proud heritage which it may not be known to you; It is the pioneer family of America and the trek west; I know of the reason that I am in California now and I know why my family left Massachusetts back in 1698; I know about the times during the Revolutionary War when we were in the Carolinas and when we migrated to Kentucky; I know the hell we lived with in Kentucky with Dan Boone. We still have his compass and sun glass in a family member's collection there in Indiana.
It appears to me that you don't know anything about the Endicott family. Your community doesn't know that my family was there before most of you were. We broke the trail along with so many looking for that greener pasture.
I might also tell you that the family is rather proud of our gramps, Gov. John Endicott, the founding father of New England, 1628. The history is well written and I live now here because of him. You don't want to tell me that Heather Endicott is of no concern to the community. If that so be the case, then I shall take it on myself to do some research and enlighten your community to how you all came about. In most cases my family was there with the first to settle the community. It goes on to my own birth in 1933 in a faraway place called Oklahoma, now in California. That some 375 years trek from Massachusetts to where I live now is a trek that caused me to be part Indian. You think perhaps I don't love my family members because of my dad's love of an Indian woman named Lucille Smith. I can go on and tell you all about the trek westward and that includes our passing through Indiana. What I want from you is a little bit of facts concerning my cousin Heather Endicott's case. Even though I never met her, I know the events of her family's past and why she was a part of your community to this day. Her family at one time gave you the love of God and the will to fight for what you now have.
I look forth to a report of the finding and above all to let you know that Heather Endicott has loving family members concerned.
Edward L. Endicott
Greenwood, Calif.
via e-mail
Miffed At School Board
Editor, Times-Union:Well, well, well. Dr. McGuire now finds himself in more litigation. This time over the idea in "that something wrong had been done." Yes, something, just something had to be wrong. It couldn't possibly be true that he was proven the records were public. Certainly not he. He couldn't just apologize to the women who've served the corporation that yes, indeed the great "Dr." McGuire had been wrong. I use the term "doctor" in quotations because he's shown nothing to want to improve the quality of education in the school system he represents. I find it very amusing, nay, comical he would be sued because once again he fails to admit to being wrong. Sounds very much like the situation where Atwood/Claypool/Silver Lake parents tried in vain to show not just him but the entire board every excuse they came up with was wrong for closing the elementaries. Not too long ago the good "doc" helped line his pockets with more precious funds that as of the last budget meeting proves the money in the general fund is going to show as a shortage. Not to mention Ms. Folk was rather rude and crass to the gentleman who pointed out the board holds elected positions, not permanent ones.
So much is so wrong with this board. So much is so wrong with this corporation. Two women who were accepting of the "reprimand" they received because the "good doctor" had just felt that using information that was public to better her son's education just had be let go. They didn't take it "seriously enough." Heaven forbid "Dr." McGuire find yet another person to be argumentative with him when it comes to standing up for what they believe in. Not to mention the fact this seems to be the only way to get the "good doctor's" attention. This would pose a very interesting thought. If two women were able to find an attorney who sees this to be wrong, logic would then lend itself to the idea that perhaps the schools and towns themselves might have some legal recourse. Of course there's been litigation previously on behalf of one mighty and courageous association. I suppose Warsaw parents are willing to roll over to the "good doc's" demands and just roll with the punches. As for those "bedroom communities" our "Dr." McGuire refers to, they are not so easily overcome. My true disgust and disdain for this board save Mr. England and Mr. Yeiter is growing daily. And the true sufferers of this situation, the children, who have had their voices raised and ignored, and their spirits pierced by this board will forever be the true causalities. You remember the children, "Dr." McGuire, they ones who by their numbers attending these schools pay the salary you choose to raise? Kudos to those who have spoken up, picketed and attended board meetings. It's high time this board is held accountable. An inquiring mind would like to know the steps necessary to recall this board? If we can do it for a presidential election, I would certainly say we can do for a mindless dribble of a board.
Jama Brown
Proud Silver Lake Elementary Graduate
Silver Lake
via e-mail
Labor Day Telethon
Editor, Times-Union:Richard Wagner has agreed to be the Pledge Center coordinator for the 2004 Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon. In Warsaw's continued support for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Rice Ford has agreed to host the pledge center site for our upcoming telethon.
Over Labor Day weekend, Richard will organize all activities for the pledge center in Warsaw. This includes fielding all of the incoming calls for pledges during the telethon. He is in need of volunteers. This year's telethon phone number is 574-267-8151. In addition to many other responsibilities, he will be trying to raise funds for the individuals served by the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
With your help, we will be able to continue providing services to individuals in Kosciusko County with muscular dystrophy. Your donation will support
n Our local MDA clinic at Lutheran Hospital
n The purchase and repair of wheelchairs and leg braces
n Annual summer camp for youngsters with muscular dystrophy
n Monthly ALS support groups
n MDA's lifesaving mission of research for causes and cures.
Thank you for your assistance with the 2004 Warsaw Pledge Center. If you have any questions and/or need further information, feel free to call me at 260-486-6698.
Amanda Brzozowski
Program Coordinator
Love Your Enemies
Editor, Times-Union:Muslims do not know and worship my God. Would that their Allah would tell them to love their enemies (us) and do good to their enemies (us), like our God does in our Bible. This isn't in their Koran, which reads that those who will not convert to Islam are infidels to be eliminated.
How sad, even pathetic, to see Muslims, who are in great need of our God, ignorant of their need of the love of our God. He loves His world, yes His world, and everyone in it, including Muslims.
Muslims are sincere in their religion, but wrong. The truth is in our Christianity. It is in our loving Savior Jesus Christ. Our holy book, the Bible, reads "He is the Way, the Truth and the Life." Great numbers of us viewed "The Passion of Jesus Christ" movie, which revealed how much God loved us, and Muslims, other religions, and all people, by sending a Savior to save us from sin and the death from sin. We all need this, and God's forgiveness and love.
Muslims are ignorant of their great need. No one is so wrong as those who are wrong and fail to know they are wrong as are Muslims. They are enslaved by Islam; no freedom, no love, no forgiveness as our God gives us in accepting and believing what Jesus did in paying for our sins to free us, forgive us and give us loving comfort.
Muslims should let us love them, not seek to eliminate us as infidels. We need to love all and share our Christian gospel to see Jesus, the light of God's world, and thereby escape their darkness.
Christian, are you and I ready to love our enemy, to love them into the kingdom of God?
C.L. Hendrix
Winona Lake
via e-mail
Prejudice
Editor, Times-Union:This letter is to inform the community and its patrons the prejudice that may be overlooked or misread.
My family and I on Friday, Aug. 13, went to our favorite restaurant, the same restaurant we visit at least once a week. As we enter I wave at a co-worker who also is dining. We get seated and receive our menu, by this time it is a couple minutes after 6 p.m. I notice my co-worker also gets seated. At 6:05, my co-worker received her water and plates and I her husband and young child are eating from the salad bar. At 6:10 we notice the waitress wiping off the tables around us glancing up at us three times as she is wiping. She walks by us and my husband and I notice that she has given us a look of disgust. My first thought was maybe our kids were being too loud. It is about 6:13 p.m., I thought to myself by 6:15 if no one comes to talk to us I will go up and ask to be waited on. My kids are getting louder, they are stating they are hungry. As we are waiting we notice three families getting seated and before they have sat down their waitress is behind them with their plates and water. 6:15 arrives, I thought to myself, what is the problem? There were waitresses standing around observing the crowd. I go up and ask one of the waitresses if we could get waited on. She stated, "Oh, she has not talked to you yet, I will get her and she will be right with you." It is 6:20 p.m. now and no waitress. My co-worker has received her food and is now eating. I will talk to the manager, I thought to myself. I go up and waited longer. By this time the same waitress who we observed cleaning the tables earlier is over at our table. I asked her what the problem was. Her excuse was she was on the phone with a difficult delivery call. I requested to speak to the manager. The manager did not apologize, did not give us an explanation of why we received such bad service. I requested a new waitress. That waitress did not apologize on behalf of the restaurant. Later we found out she did not want to be "belittled."
It is a week later, we have received an apology letter from the corporate office. I do not believe that is enough. They do not realize how much of a negative effect this type of service has on a person. I am hispanic and my husband is caucasian and I cannot help but wonder if that had anything to do with the bad service. I want to make the community aware of this type of situation and do not tolerate it. Speak up do not keep quiet. We all deserve the same type of service as the next person.
If only we would have received an explanation and apology from anyone from that restaurant on that day it would not have gotten to this point.
Christine Goodman
Pierceton
via e-mail
Coulter Column
Editor, Times-Union:In regard to your publication of columnist Ann Coulter and her reference to the Swift Boat Veteran debacle surrounding John Kerry's Bronze Star. Rather than get bogged down in the semantics of the story, I would simply like to point folks toward a related article on the front page of Wednesday's (8/18) Fort Wayne Journal Gazette and to a Web site, www.factcheck.org/, a Project of the Annenburg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
Too often people will read purported facts in Op-Ed pieces and take the information as truth without doing any research on their own.
The Annenburg Public Policy Center is dedicated to the truth and has absolutely no political agenda of its own. They seem to be willing dispute conservative as well as liberal bias.
Bringing us to Ann Coulter. Her abrasive style is often referred to as being very tongue-in-cheek. In her case she is tongue-in-cheek to a point she doesn't even make sense. I find her brand of extreme conservatism divisive and hateful. I can usually find a point or two in any conservative Op-Ed piece that I can agree with, but I find her rantings on the verge of desperate hysteria and incoherence. She seems to more than willing to pick up on any anti-liberal half-truth, expound upon it and scream it at us from her written pages. I urge readers to be willing to find things out for themselves before forming an opinion and not to subscribe to her rantings because she is telling you what you want to hear. I also urge the Times-Union to keep searching for quality Op-Ed journalists.
Ted Carter
Leesburg
via e-mail
Lazy Managing Editor
Editor, Times-Union:Again Mr. Gerard you show your laziness. One would think you are running an Internet blog page rather than a newspaper. Your News Views column Saturday ranted about freedom of the press rather than backing up your opinions with facts. You moan about too much spending and say nothing factual to back up your case. You don't like the new ladder truck. Fine, but give us some facts to support your argument that we don't need it. Have you researched other towns of our size and demographics and found that there are better alternatives? Have you investigated the local fire department and found that they are trying to pull a fast one and purchase equipment they don't need? Obtained mechanical records for the current ladder truck and found that its condition has been misrepresented? What are you basing your editorial on?
Again you refer to the city's health plan as "Cadillac." Do you base this solely on the upfront weekly cost to employees? If I sold you a new car to replace your ancient beater for $2,000 and you found that what I didn't tell you was that it would cost you $500 a month in other maintenance costs, would you consider it a Cadillac? As I stated before, city employees earn less than employees in other cities of the same size. They earn less than many local industry employees. They pay more in doctor visit co pays and prescription co-pays than many other governmental and industrial plans. I worked at Wal-Mart as a part-time employee and our plans were fairly close in benefits at that time. Like it or not, the city has to compete with other cities and the likes of the orthopedic industry for employees. I promise you that while many employees are grateful for the plan they have, we all have friends whose plans have better benefits at only marginally higher costs.
As for local governmental spending as a whole, I believe that our representatives have been frugal. With the exception of the school board boondoggle, which will probably be corrected in the next election, I can't think of any projects that have been irresponsible. I do know of some projects that were put off that cost us money (wastewater treatment plant being one), but then hindsight is 20/20.
Jim Martin
Leesburg
via e-mail
[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092