Published: February 19, 2008 05:05 pm            

LETTERS: Feb. 20, 2008

Cuts are the answer for NA budget woes



I received a call from a friend yesterday. She had just read Daniel Suddeath’s article in The Tribune about Mr. England’s reaction to the property tax deduction plan and she was very troubled by our mayor’s comments.

As a senior citizen she felt that people her age should not have to pay property taxes or, at least, receive a discount. I did discover the “chart of property tax deductions” on the Floyd County web site which says that people over 65 with a AGI of $25,000 or less do receive a break on their property taxes.

But after reading the article myself, I was troubled also. Mr. England believes that a reduction in revenue of $377,000 from New Albany’s budget could mean a reduction in our police force or the closure of a fire station.

Our police force is already understaffed. We cannot afford to lose any officers, nor can we afford to close a fire station.

Perhaps we could offset this loss in other ways. For instance, Councilman McLaughlin questioned a tax abatement for a local company needing to expand. To me, the idea of studying tax abatements more closely is a good idea. Tax abatements are given to companies at nearly every City Council meeting without a moment’s thought. I know the time frame has been cut from 10 years to 5 years and that is a good start, but perhaps the Council could tighten the reins a little for established companies.

Another possibility is certainly unpopular, but maybe we could look into raising the sales tax on non-essential products. I don’t know how much revenue a one percent or two percent raise would give New Albany, but it’s worth a thought.

Please, Mayor England, try to work with the City Council to come up with more creative ways to offset this deficit without jeopardizing our police or fire protection.

The Mayor will give the State of the City Address at the next City Council meeting, Feb. 21. I hope to see a large group of people there.

— Shirley Baird, New Albany



Floyd child support still a mess



I was sitting reading the paper The Tribune recently about Floyd County child support collections being up, and thinking what a bunch of bull.

After reading the article, I understand why my daughter cannot get help in collecting the child support due to her son. You have to on public assistance now, right? And if you are not, forget it.

About the only assistance my daughter got was Hoosier Healthwise insurance for my grandson. But he has not been on that for more than three years now and my daughter did pay the $25 fee and, before that, two different attorneys. At that time, we knew where the father lived and worked. Nothing was ever done. Right now he owes over $16,000. We lost count.

I want to know why a mother or father who has custody of their children has to take time off from work to file these papers, knowing that they are losing money by not working and knowing that there is a great chance that nothing will ever be done to collect the money due to their child? Why doesn’t child support go after these dead-beat parents on their own?

When we call the child support division recording to see if anything may have been paid, and you put in your case number and social security number, it tells us no such file exists. So, does this mean after a certain amount of time, the case is put in a box and stuck in a room, never to be seen again?

I know my daughter is not the only parent this has happened to and she will not be the last. But do not pat yourself on the back, telling yourself how great a job you are doing getting child support, because you are not.

And as far as the Tribune goes, maybe more than eight dead-beat dads would be nice to hear about.

My grandson’s dad is only 25-years-old. So you do not have to be older to be a dead-beat dad. And you know what is funny? My daughter was not the one who filed first — it was him. He wanted to do the right thing and take care of my grandson. So much for that, right?

Next time you want to print another list, let me know. I will give you my grandson’s dad’s name.

— Debbie Eason, New Albany



Alzheimer’s research needs funds





The President’s 2008 budget proposal continues the dangerous trend of underfunding medical and scientific research. It underestimates the vital hope such research offers families facing the debilitating and fatal disease — Alzheimer’s.

It is absolutely critical that we maintain a level of funding that ensures scientists have the tools and resources to find treatments to delay, halt or reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s.

As many as 5.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease today. In 2000, there were 100,000 people in Indiana with Alzheimer’s. By 2010, we will reach 120,000 people with it. Without an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s, Indiana’s health and long-term care systems will not be able to provide sufficient support for the emerging baby boomer population.

The President’s proposal is far removed from what is necessary to bring an end to a disease that is accruing costs that will put Medicare, Medicaid and individual families into financial ruin. Investing in research to end Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most prudent decisions that the government can make — it will save lives and billions of dollars for Medicare and Medicaid.

There is real potential for a better future, one where Alzheimer’s disease is no longer a death sentence, but a manageable, treatable disease that affects far fewer people - people who will continue to lead productive and meaningful lives. We must invest in the vision of a world without Alzheimer’s. In order to achieve this vision, Alzheimer’s must be addressed and funded as a national priority today.



— Tom Bodkin, chairman of the Board for the Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.





Reader thanks street department



A special thanks goes out to all of the Jeffersonville Street Deptartment. You all have been really busy the past three weeks from two weeks of wind damage, cutting fallen trees, and snow and ice throughout the night.

Pat yourselves on the back for a job well done! Rest up for now and thanks again!

— Chuck and Luann Whittaker, Jeffersonville



Farr disputes Bible quotes



There is a problem with Rev Chuck Evaline’s use of the words of Jesus in his Feb. 17, 2008 column, “How to deal with the world.”

The Rev. Evaline quotes from Mark 16:15,18 although he left out the first part of verse 18: “they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them (RSV)...”. I hope Rev Evaline is not advocating this passage!

There is another problem. According to Dr. Bart D. Ehrman on pages 66-69 of his book, “Misguoting Jesus", Mark 16:9-20 was not originally in Mark and was added later by a scribe. Besides these verses not being in the best and oldest gospels of Mark, Dr. Ehrman list five other reasons to support this statement. Dr. Ehrman concludes: “In short, the evidence is sufficient to convince nearly all textual scholars that these verses are an addition to Mark.”

The rest of Rev. Evaline’s article dealt mainly with using the “Holy Spirit” to deal with the world. I wish Rev Evaline or another minister would answer this age-old question: Why is it Christians cannot agree on what the “Holy Spirit” is telling them?

Maybe if we could change the words “Holy Spirit” to God’s Love as Bishop John Shelby Spong teaches, we could make progress to another age-old question: Why can’t we just get along?

— Larry E. Farr, Jeffersonville



Reader challenges Wilder’s argument even if he can’t challenge annexation

On Wednesday, Feb. 13, in Clark Circuit Court, Judge Daniel F. Donahue heard arguments by the city of Jeffersonville and opponents to Jeffersonville’s forced annexation. I attended the hearing and heard the city’s arguments for the annexation.

Mr. Larry Wilder, attorney for the city of Jeffersonville, made an argument that in my opinion was not correct.

He said, “They are trying to impede the rights of 4,500 people who chose to live in the city of Jeffersonville.”

He illustrated this point with the fact that not one of those 4,500 people signed a petition to challenge the annexation.

Mr. Wilder, we do not choose to live in Jeffersonville. Members of the Jeffersonville city council forced annexation on us through their council votes. We were forbidden to sign any petition challenging the annexation.

Unknowingly, to most home owners in the challenged areas, we signed away any rights to challenge the annexation when we brought our homes from the developers. We were told that the developers signed away their rights, and ours, in order to tap their sewers into Jeffersonville’s sewer system.

Homeowners from all over the proposed annexation area formed a political action committee, held rallies, had weekly meetings, raised thousands of dollars, canvassed neighborhoods, collected hundreds of signatures opposing the annexation, and attended many city council meetings where we voiced our opposition; all in an effort to influence each member of the city council to stop the annexation.

Does this sound like a group of people who want to live in the city of Jeffersonville?

This whole issue should be about what the homeowners of Clark County want for themselves, not what the members of the city council of Jeffersonville decided for them. Politicians should listen and be guided by the will of the people. Unfortunately, in this instance, Jeffersonville politicians, though they have listened, have chosen a different path.

Annexation is now in the hands of Judge Donahue. I hope that he correctly understands the position of the homeowners in the proposed annexation area and makes the correct decision for them.

— Tom Yingling, Jeffersonville

        

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