LETTERS
To the Editor:

I am the Director of the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) sponsored by The Legacy Link, Inc. (Area Agency on Aging). I’m writing this letter to you seeking assistance with a RSVP project in your county.

RSVP received approval in July 2006 from our Grantor, Senior Corp., to implement a worthwhile project under the category of Homeland Security. This project was to correspond with our military personnel stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The correspondence would take place among our senior population attending your Senior Center and our soldiers.

I have had unanticipated problems getting this project going. From the beginning I have been unable to identify soldiers for our seniors to write even after contacting some local churches, etc. I finally learned that due to the ‘security risks’ a lot of correspondence was being discouraged such as letter writing - that most was occurring today via email with computers. I certainly understood how this would be a safer way to correspond and felt that by using email the soldiers would have a much better chance of responding.

I have had no luck in obtaining soldiers email addresses who would like to receive correspondence from our seniors. Hence, my letter to you for help with my dilemma.

Could you assist RSVP and our seniors by making this request public? I hope this way a reader will have a family member, friend, or acquaintance serving and, after getting the soldier's permission, will contact me so I can arrange the correspondence via your local Senior Center. I can be reached by phone (770-532-5585) or by email (cbboykin@dhr.state.ga.us). Thank you very much for any and all assistance.

Sincerely,

Carol B. Boykin, RSVP Director

To the Editor:

Last summer, Nancy Pelosi began talking about what the Democrats would accomplish during the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress when they convene in January. On Day One they would put new rules in place to "break the link” between lobbyists and legislation. On Day Two they would enact all the recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission. During the time remaining of the 100 hours they would pass legislation to: raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour; cut the interest rate on student loans in half; allow the government to negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices for Medicare patients; and broaden the types of stem cell research allowed with federal funds. Phew! If that sounds like a lot of legislation to be considered in a short amount of time, it is. Congressional rules require that bills be available for review at least three days before coming to a vote, but those rules have routinely been overridden, leaving only a few hours to read bills that are thousands of pages long, and spend hundreds of billions of our tax dollars. Worse yet, it seems that the more important the legislation, the less time members have to review it before voting. Recent examples include the energy bill, the Medicare prescription drug bill, the intelligence bill and the defense authorization bill, which together totaled almost 3000 pages, authorized more than $1 trillion spending, and yet, were available to members for less than 48 hours total for reading! Ms. Pelosi has said that 100 hours is enough time to begin to "drain the swamp" created by more than a decade of Republican rule; but it looks to me like her yellow brick road is actually a dirt path leading to that same swamp.

Cordially,

Chuck Esposito

Suches, Ga.

To the Editor:

My 2006 property taxes break down as follows: My local government county taxes increased 34%, my school taxes increased 90%, and the state portion increased 74%, on a reassessment of my property 70% higher than last year.

Elected officials will say that I have paid lower taxes in years past for low assessment.

My answer to that is "so has everyone else I've talked too". Their assessments are a lot higher also, from 30% to 100%. Also, there is no excuse for a 20% local government and 52% school budget increase irregardless of reassessment.

Our county commissioner says taxes will only increase 4.72%, this is not true. Local government taxes will increase 20% as the budget from property taxes has increased 20%. This 20% comes from all property owners! And not just the new homes in the area. Some property owners will see a large increase and some a small increase. In addition the school portion of property taxes has increased 52% as the budget has increased, again from all property owners. This is an overall increase of 36%.

Not only do we have to worry about tax and spend officials at the Federal and State level. Now we have tax and spend at the local level.

If our School superintendent and county commissioner cannot hold their department heads and other elected office holders to a reasonable budget then it's time for a new commissioner and school superintendent.

Mike Sims