Published: November 26, 2007 11:35 pm            

LETTERS: Nov. 27, 2007

Fed contracts are problem, not taxes



Mike Sodrel wants us to contact our state and local officials to repeal, not reform, property taxes. He says the federal government can’t help. Nice try! We all know that one reason our property taxes have been so critical to state and local budgets is because the Feds have cut back funding to the states for several years. The trickle down effect of these cuts is visible in our neglected infrastructure, not to mention human services — including children’s and veterans health care. It is completely obvious — and no surprise — that Sodrel is demagogueing this issue for his own re-election, while putting himself safely out of the way of resolving this dilemma.

A true representative of the people would recognize that the biggest ripoff to taxpayers is the billions of our dollars that the Bush Administration, with Sodrel’s support, has handed over to contractors like Halliburton/KBR, Blackwater, and other war profiteers, not counting the $9 billion that “went missing” in Iraq. Sodrel says, ‘taxes should not be established on a guess.” Neither should wars.

— Ruthanne Wolfe, New Albany





Reader happy with Sodrel



Mr. Mike Sodrel is right on point in his article supporting the repeal of property taxes. He is one of the first politicians to publicly write an article about this topic stating his reasons why property taxes should be repealed. We need more politicians that will stand up for their convictions and the will of the people like Mr. Sodrel has done in his letter to The Evening News. We asked Baron Hill to take a position on the repeal of property taxes over two months ago when he held a press conference at the Carpenter home in New Albany. He still has not taken a position. All he wants to do is give non-itemizers a deduction for property taxes. Big deal. We want property taxes to be eliminated.

Even though Mr. Sodrel and Mr. Hill are at the federal level and property taxes are a state issue, Mr. Sodrel has chosen to get involved and support what he believes. His position will help the people on this issue and I thank him for his involvement. We need the press to begin asking probing questions of our state elected officials. They should be on record of their position on this issue affecting all Hoosiers. Do you know any that are on record now giving their reasons for their position? Many seem to be running silently, hoping, praying, this issue of property tax repeal goes away. It will not.

— Kim Matthews, Jeffersonville



Reader: Sampson not good for IU



Going through the newspapers, I saw the Kelvin Sampson ordeal stain a school proud to be clean. He also hurt a lot of good basketball fans, and I am one of them. I’m glad I don’t have him as a neighbor. In my way of thinking, he is not all the blame — I think the athletic director that talked Sampson into coming to Indiana University for a good basketball job and that everything would take care of itself. He violated just about all rules and regulations that keep a good school like IU in good standing.

Maybe Indiana needs a new athletic director as president. Ha! Ha! I’m glad I can watch the game on TV — and turn it off whenever.

— James E. “Deb” Snelling Sr., New Albany

        

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