Published: October 30, 2009 10:48 am      

LETTERS: Oct. 29, 2009

Let the health care debate continue

It’s interesting that so many people know what’s in the new proposed Health Bill, especially since there is no final bill. There has been amendment upon amendment before anything has even hit the floor of the house.

So far, all there is on health care is something like a series of proposals. Maybe, people who write letters on this would be so kind as to cite sources and Web sites that the information comes from.

Maybe, what needs fact-checked more than what is currently proposed for the health care bill is the amount of money that lobbyists from the health care industry are spending. Like dollar amounts, specific districts, is there an election on the horizon, is one congressman being played against the other, and so on.

With 45,000 people dying a year without health insurance, there is a moral issue. With 46 million people without insurance, because health insurance companies make a profit off illnesses, we have a major dilemma. With the majority of bankruptcies due to under coverage of health insurance, rejection by health insurance companies or no insurance, this country has a crisis.

Think of our recent economic meltdown.

I do hope more people like Joe Krueger get involved in the debate, and thoroughly debate, and thoroughly check out who they get their information from. That means checking out who is financing the information.

Keep working out this issue, Joe, we need much more debate on health care before anything is finalized.

’ Steven Fetter, Jeffersonville





IHSAA, Colts launch community service program

In my nine-plus years as commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc., I often have spoken about one of the primary missions of academic-based athletics being to develop ’good Americans rather than All-Americans.’

While it is true that an impressive number of Indiana high school student athletes graduate and move on to play a sport at the collegiate level, very few become All-Americans. Additionally, very few get an opportunity to compete professionally. However, all are expected to take their rightful place as a productive member of society.

By their very nature, high school athletics already are designed to teach life lessons that foster stronger, more vibrant communities. Personal discipline, respect for authority, responsibility to others, the development of leadership skills and role model opportunities, all of which are essential parts of being a student-athlete. The combination of these traits plays an important role in teenagers’ development into active, responsible citizens.

And now, thanks to a new partnership between the IHSAA and the Indianapolis Colts, added emphasis is being placed on the importance of community service as well.

This week, every high school football team in Indiana ’ a total of 318 ’ is receiving an invitation to compete for what some might consider an award as coveted as a state championship. We call it the IHSAA Blue Horseshoe Award, and it will be presented to the high school football team in Indiana that completes what a panel of judges deem as the best community service project during this coming offseason.

Every high school that fields a football team, regardless of its size, will have an equal opportunity to compete and an equal opportunity to win. Teams that have not enjoyed great success on the gridiron this season can still be crowned a champion. Lessons learned on the field can be implemented in the community.

And most importantly of all, every student who participates will have the opportunity to experience the satisfaction that goes along with helping others.

This is a landmark program in two significant ways. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a professional sports team has become the corporate partner of a state high school athletic association. So hats off to the Indianapolis Colts. And we also believe the IHSAA Blue Horseshoe Award is the first state-wide community service project ever sanctioned by a high school athletic association.

When you do the math, the possibilities are staggering. If all 318 high school varsity football teams in Indiana commit to a service project in their home communities that requires a mere two hours of time per player, assuming team sizes average about 60 teenagers each, communities in our state would benefit from a combined total of more than 38,000 hours of productivity. And this doesn’t take into account projects that require more time to complete or the projects that include junior varsity and freshman squads.

The IHSAA Blue Horseshoe Award is a program where everyone is a winner. It’s about preparing high school students to be good Americans as well as good football players. And it helps us all understand the positive things that can be accomplished through corporate partnerships.

You might say it’s a touchdown, home run and a three-point shot all rolled into one.

’ Blake Ress, IHSAA commissioner



West End cleanup open to all Saturday

On Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., residents of New Albany’s West End will have the opportunity to participate in an area clean up. The cleanup is partnered with the City of New Albany, the Friends & Neighbors of the West End Group and QRS Recycling (Riverside Recycling 1001 West Floyd St.).

Residents will be able to discard household waste, yard waste, old appliances free of Freon, lawn mowers free of oil and gasoline and various other metal disposals. No tires, paint oil, or hazardous materials will be allowed to be dumped and everything is subject to inspection.

With budget cuts, raising costs to our residents/taxpayers and the effect of the current economic status this country is faced with, it is with great pride that this clean up is once again taking place. Matt Denison with the City of New Albany is always a pleasure to work with.

In the past, there has been a situation or two of after-hour dumping at the cleanup site of items that were not allowed or items being left by contractors to avoid demolition waste expenses, which has created a more troublesome cleanup effort for city employees when the dumpsters were removed. What a refreshing bonus to see a local company who has been in our community over 35 years to graciously agree to help us out to eliminate this issue. When I contacted Trey Gingles, general manager of QRS/Riverside Recycling, he was more than willing to do what was possible to assist us. QRS/Riverside Recycling has graciously agreed to allow this event within the secured premises of their grounds and has made this event even better for all those involved once again. Founder Tim Janson, and the Janson family have continued to give to our community in many ways over the years and it is a blessing to this community that they have stepped up to pull together with the City of New Albany and our neighborhood group to hold this event.

The New Albany City budget and lack of dollars for overtime expenses does not allow city employees to man the site, and it is done so by volunteers of the neighborhood group.

If anyone needs information regarding the cleanup or would like to volunteer, they may contact me at 812-945-4100 or email the group at wendneighbors@aol.com. The Friends and Neighbors of the West End will hold their next meeting Nov. 12, 7 p.m. at Strandz & Thread on Vincennes Street in the party room.

Thanks again City of New Albany and QRS Recycling, we could not hold this event without you! West End residents do a little fall cleaning!

’ Becky Roy, Friends & Neighbors of the West End



Reader weighs in on Lockhart columns

(EDITOR'S NOTE: The writer is a family member of Sam Lockhart.)

The articles written by Sam Lockhart regarding the innocence of David Camm have been very informative. Validation for his articles can be found in interviews and transcripts of both Camm trials for the 2000 murders of Kim, Brad and Jill Camm. It is evident that prosecutors Stan Faith and Keith Henderson had something other than justice as their goal when they put all their eggs into one basket ’ David Camm ’ despite his irrefutable alibi.

As theory after theory explaining how David Camm killed his family crumbled upon investigation, anyone seeking truth would think they might have the wrong man. But a politician with something to hide or gain by convicting David would employ every tactic, legal or illegal, to bring about that end, which is why Faith and Henderson ultimately failed by having their convictions overturned.

Murderer Charles Boney would have been discovered within a week of the murders had Faith and the State Police done their jobs. There is a dispute as to who is responsible for the failure to test the sweatshirt Boney left at the scene for DNA, Faith or ISP Det. Sean Clemons. Each points to the other.

Henderson promised ’fresh eyes’ on the case, yet used the same discredited ’experts’. An ambitious politician, Henderson can’t afford to displease the public. He is so invested in David being guilty that when the defense succeeded in getting the sweatshirt’s DNA tested and Boney was found, one of his interrogators gave Boney the idea of a conspiracy, Boney’s third or fourth story regarding his involvement in the murders. David has always had one story which is backed by 11 alibi witnesses.

With some help from Judge Striegel, Faith did his job well; he managed by lies and deceit to get everyone in five counties and two states to hate David Camm. So, Henderson had to get a second conviction. But he too, with the help of Judge Alsworth overstepped the bounds of fair play and that conviction was thrown out.

To have both trials ruled unjust proves that both the prosecutors and judges were out of line. The 24 people who convicted David did not hear all the evidence. They heard fallacious evidence and many lies. And they were misled by the entire proceedings. These are the things that put innocent people in prison. They also get convictions overturned.

This case has been vandalized by personal political posturing. Only those willing to look at the facts and discard inflammatory, baseless rhetoric can begin to understand the vastness of the injustice done in this case.

’ Phyllis Rhodes, Sellersburg



Organizers say thanks for cultural event



The Multicultural Outreach Council of the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, One Southern Indiana and the Hispanic Connection recently played host to Bridges to Cultural Understanding, a public forum and panel discussion featuring Dr. Juana O. Watson, a former adviser to Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.

Many substantive issues were discussed. Specifically, Dr. Watson, who grew up in an impoverished Mexican village, challenged community members to extend a welcoming hand to anyone from an ethnic minority group who has moved into the community. Such gestures go a long way toward helping assimilation, she said, and failing to do so only encourages further isolation. Dr. Watson is a prime example of the success one can achieve despite significant obstacles and challenges. Her words are born of experience.

On behalf of the council, we would like to thank Dr. Watson, our panelists, our sponsors and attendees and Northside Christian Church for the use of its facilities. More than 100 people turned out, from the areas of business, education, law enforcement, social services and more. Only by talking about the issues that challenge our community can we grow and prosper.

’ Michael Waiz, president and CEO, Community Foundation of Southern Indiana and Alice Miles, director, Multicultural Outreach Council