Editor, Times-Union: I was very pleased to see Kent Adams' response to Governor O'Bannon's tax proposals. I sincerely hope he can find the support of many more during the upcoming legislative session.
I would like to pose a few questions to the taxpayers and the legislators:
1. Where is it chiseled in stone we must constantly increase state spending?
2. Where is it written we must grant wage and benefit increases to state employees?
3. Where is it written you cannot lay off state employees?
4. Where does it say the state must continue grants and other non-essential projects when revenues fall short?
When private sector companies face declining revenues, they must downsize to operate within their means. Where does it say the state cannot do this?
The state constitution requires a balanced budget. (Thank God for the people who write our constitution.)
The answer is simple: cut spending.
John J. Bumbaugh Warsaw P.S. Perhaps the WCS board could practice a little austerity too? Citizens know we have to pay for the jail and a new sewage plant. Enough!
No Peer Grading
Editor, Times-Union: I am a parent and public school teacher. I'd like to make a few comments on Gary Gerard's "News Views" published Dec. 8.
His view addressed the present lawsuit of a parent suing a school due to the practice of students grading each other's papers.
I do have a strong view on this practice. I will first share that I am a teacher who works daily, for the past 24 years, with dyslexic children and children with various types of learning difficulties.
"Peer" grading seemed to gain popularity about 10-15 years ago.
From its onset, the practice bothered me. Here are a couple of the reasons why.
Children (any age) experience emotional pain when another student views work with which they have been unsuccessful. And please don't think it's only the one other student who sees this paper. Those seated around the student do also. And of course, it's not only learning disabled children who struggle at times in the classroom. Various students experience the hurt of other students grading their less-than-perfect papers.
The accuracy of a student grading a paper is often not the same as a teacher. All and any students' work can be affected by student grading errors on any given day.
Mr. Gerard mentioned the practice of calling out grades in class. Our school, to my knowledge, has not practiced this during my years there. It is a blatantly obvious invasion of the student's privacy, to say the least. I view the practice of peer grading also as an invasion of the student's privacy.
I don't care how the teacher unions view this subject. I have no idea where the Federal government will take this. What I do know and understand is the pain in the student's eyes, and as Mr. Gerard stated, children can be mean. On the other hand, I am constantly amazed and inspired by the depth of empathy students, across the grade levels, can show toward their classmates. And yes, teachers can be and are role models for this. I truly believe that if students were helped to understand the feelings of the children who often have others view their failures, they would choose not to practice peer grading.
Mary Thorndike (Mrs. T.) Parent and Teacher Warsaw
Christmas Prayer
Editor, Times-Union: Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you for the glory and simple beauty of Christmas. Old yet ever new are the familiar melodies and words that recall to us the great miracle you wrought when your son came one night as a babe, born in lowly circumstances, to lie in the care of his mother's arms.
We bow in love to you before such mystery. We kneel with the shepherds and wise men to bring to you the gift of our love. We confess that it often has not been as warm and sincere as it needs to be and as we want it to be.
As we celebrate your birthday, Lord Jesus, may we do it in a manner pleasing to you. May every tribute of our hearts bring honor to your name as we feel your presence among us.
May the loving kindness of Christmas abide in our hearts so thatour festivities do not bring sadness to your heart, for you came to save us from our sins. In your lovely name we pray. Amen.
C.L. Hendrix Winona Lake via e-mail
Whitko Baseball
Editor, Times-Union: The Whitko Wildcat baseball team would like to thank all the participating businesses for helping make our discount card fund-raiser a success. Many have helped to make this discount card possible. We thank everyone for your donations and your continued support.
Whitko Wildcat Baseball Team
South Whitley
School Spending
Editor, Times-Union: Regarding the spending plans for the improvement of the Warsaw school system:
There would have to be a number of options that could be explored. I do not know of anyone that wants to go in debt 42-plus million dollars.
I would hope that the school superintendents and the members of the school board would keep in mind: of the people, by the people and for the people.
Dave Henderson Warsaw
Today's Scrooges
Editor, Times-Union: An American Christmas Carol
Today's Scrooges make the original Scrooge look like an angel. For instance, Motorola having trouble with foreign producers making cell phones, etc., cheaper than Motorola, so they fire (layoff) 40,000 workers instead of finding ways to make the product cheaper and better in this country.
We have soup kitchens and relief agencies to care for children of unemployed parents.
Oh yes, Motorola has decided to take American-made $3.4 billion out of the United States to invest in factories in China. General Motors Corp. has taken $1.5 billion out of the United States to invest in a manufacturing plant outside Shanghai, China.
We have soup kitchens and relief agencies to care for our unemployed.
Chrysler, every time one of you young people buys a Dodge Ram truck with your hard earned dollars, remember it wasn't made by American workers. It was made in Mexico with cheap labor, but the price you paid was for a truck "made in the United States."
Don't we have soup kitchens and work programs for our unemployed?
Wells-Lamont - remember JoMac, our little glove making company here in Warsaw? How many years has it been here? Wells-Lamont decided to buy it. Boy, they are going to make it bigger and hire more people. NO, they are closing it down and moving the production to China.
Wells-Lamont does not pay for our soup kitchens and relief agencies, we do.
The Scrooge list goes on and on ... When you go shopping for Christmas, just try to buy American-made presents for loved ones. Tell the clerks in the stores to show you American-made clothing, toys, etc. You can do it, but it won't be easy.
Senator Richard G. Lugar and Senator Evan Bayh, when are we going to put tariffs on all products coming into this country? When are you going to stop the rape of the American workers? Please reply.
P.S. Governor O'Bannon, if you would get your head out of the sand when companies take their manufacturing out of the state and country, you lose the taxes that were paid by the workers who no longer have jobs.
