Published: February 12, 2008 02:39 pm            

LETTERS: Feb. 13, 2008

Oak Park resident agrees with columnist



Thank you Kelley Curran for your excellent column, “Annexation Should be Consensual,” in The Evening News Opinions section on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

You stated that individuals who chose to move to Oak Park did so knowing they were not expecting to receive city services and forcing them into the city deprives them of their right of association and undermines their personal choices.

My husband and I purchased our home in Oak Park in 1965. We did so knowing what living outside the city offered — mainly much lower taxes. The county has serviced our area very well during the past 43 years and we never felt deprived of any city services.

I agree wholeheartedly with your statement, “It seems likely the real motivation for annexation, things that make it so desirable for urban politicians are the oldest motivations, power and greed.”

— Gloria Estes, Jeffersonville



Ethan’s Angels in Utica



On Dec. 2 if you were looking out your window and saw a glow in the sky over Utica and was wondering what it was. Well, it was angels, lots of angels. They were all there to help our little Ethan and they did. I know that with the help of all the angels, Ethan will win his battle. The Utica Preservation Society sponsored a chili supper and auction and raised more than $5,000 to help Ethan and his family. The donations of items for the silent auction were awesome.

We are so thankful and feed very blessed to know so many angels are taking such good care of Ethan. Thanks to everyone who donated items, money, food or their time to make the fundraiser a success.

If you want to check on Ethan’s progress, feel free to visit his Webpage at WWW.CAREPAGES.COM (Carepage name LilEthan.) If you were not able to attend the chili supper benefit and would like to made a donation, a fund for Ethan has been established at Your Community Bank. Ask for bank representative LeeAnn Lumpkins, 812-256-2060. Thank you and God Bless.

— Candy Lumpkins Baker and family



Reader questions the system



My parents are 87 years old. They have lived through the Depression. My dad was in France and Germany in World War II. He came back from there, met and married my mother and worked the same full-time job, getting all the overtime he could, until he retired at the age of 65. He raised three boys and buried two other children. My mother stayed home and took care of the kids and the home. They were great parents.

They live on their Social Security now. That is all they have and, with the inflation on gas and groceries and the spiraling of property taxes, they are barely getting by. When they eat out, they order off Wendy’s 99 cent menu and share the fries. Now when they go to the grocery, they buy the cheapest ,generic brands, because that is all they can afford.

It is embarrassing to me and upsetting to them when they are in the grocery checkout lane and see the illegal aliens buying the best name-brand merchandise, knowing they can afford it because the U.S. Senate has allowed them to have full Social Security benefits.

In addition, the illegals get food stamps and many other perks which are unavailable to my parents — although my parents would never accept food stamps anyway as they believe they should be reserved only for the needy.

The illegals also get Medicaid for free. My dad has Medicare come out of his Social Security check.

The illegals can work for cash and not report it.

They do not marry, because our government pays unwed mothers more for having kids if they remain unmarried.

What’s wrong with this picture?

— Richard D. Carver III, Sellersburg

        

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