Published: November 30, 2007 04:19 pm            

Letters to the Editor, Dec. 2, 2007

Children need

roll models

Dear editor,

I am writing to ask you to supplement the life of a child with something more precious and valuable than money and more important than technology or textbooks. Your time can impact the life of a child for years to come. I ask you to commit just 30 minutes week or every other week as a mentor and change the life of a child significantly.

Just 30 minutes a week could inspire a child to come to school. Students with mentors are 75 percent less likely to drop out of school and more likely to have better attendance.

Just 30 minutes a week could save a child from turning to drugs or alcohol. Students with mentors are much less likely to use illegal drugs, alcohol or exhibit violent behavior.

Today, our children are not asking for more money for computers, new athletic facilities or even new uniforms. Today, they ask you to listen and share what you know about the world.

Many of your workplaces will even pay you to be a mentor during work hours. If they do not, ask them to! Nothing is more important than the future of these children and our country’s future leaders.

Come donate 30 minutes and eat lunch with us, come donate and feel like you have truly made a difference.

Mentors and students might chat about the latest movie, shoot a few baskets, share lunch or talk about their pets. The topic does not seem to matter, but the unspoken message of caring will never be forgotten.

All that is required is a volunteer background check, attendance at our orientation program and a willingness to touch a young life forever. If you are interested, please call our counselor, Ruby Caudle, at (817) 598-2822 ext. 3902, or e-mail her at rcaudle@weatherfordisd.com.

Michelle Howard-Schwind,

Principal, Hall Middle School



Media consolidation

Dear editor,

Further consolidation of the media is totally insane. Do we want to be spoken to with one voice and no alternate views?

Aren’t we a free country still?

The citizens of America have already suffered from the media consolidation thus far and this just sounds far too hitleristic in my opinion. It sounds as if our government wants only one voice to be heard and that is the voice that shares their views and ideas and agenda.

How long can our democracy survive with further consolidation of the media? We need to stand up because if we continue to ignore the situation, it won’t go away, it will just be compounded.

Our media has been consolidated already to the point that we only hear the watered down stories they want us to hear. It is time to wake up and smell the coffee America.

Speak up !

Mrs. G Whiteside,

Weatherford



Weatherford Utility Board practices

Dear editor,

At the Oct. 23 public input visitors section of the Weatherford City Council meeting, I requested the mayor put me on the next Weatherford Utility Board agenda. I asked by letter to address the practice of assessing low income, indigent and elderly utility customers and late charges on utility assistance donations that were provided by churches and food donation organizations.

After hearing or receiving nothing about my request, I contacted the proper city department about my transaction, then e-mailed a formal written request, one week prior to the Nov. 16 Utility Board Meeting date. Again, I received no answer to my request.

I then called City Hall to get some kind of confirmation. I later received an e-mail that my inquiry item would be for me to speak in the public input or visitors section, where no decision could be made. I then responded and reminded them of my initial inquiry, and my one week prior request ahead of the 72-hour deadline for listing as an agenda item!

Being a Democrat Party member, I felt it was important to address this issue in which many considered unethical, that most applicants for utility assistance require a cutoff notice from the Utility Department before any donation assistance is given.

I knew that the low income customer had no control over when the payment is made by mail, or transferred to the Utility Department. I related that this puts a double bind on the customer who has to go through the embarrassment of going to churches all over town asking for help at over $3 per gallon gas, then saddled with multiple late charges.

It’s just not fair, said one low income customer after receiving two late charges, when only partial payments were made by several organizations for one electric bill.

Mid-summer and winter electric rates skyrocket while utility generating corporations make record profits, and salaries for CEOs are in the millions. It’s all on the backs of local resident customers and of course those who are low income.

I related that the churches and donation institutions had done their part, and now the local Weatherford Utility Board needs to waive the unfair late charges. It’s really a health issue, I exclaimed.

In my final statements, I asked why the board had not made efforts to “Go Green,” like is being promoted for homeowners all over America? I have yet to see any wind-generating mills in Weatherford, or solar panels on any city buildings, here either, I expressed.

I could not see the Utility Board doing anything to help lower utility rates. Before being seated, I expressed that it is a sad day in Weatherford when taxpayers who help pay Utility Department salaries are not put on their agenda when going by their rules, then still being denied the opportunity of the legal agenda path for making policy.

Lastly, I quoted “This is not the America I grew up in.”

Later that day I received a communication that the item would be considered in the Dec. 6 meeting, or the Dec. 21 scheduled meeting. I urge all concerned utility customers to attend. Call (817) 598-4000 to confirm time and date.

Darwin Yeary,

Parker County

Active Democrats,

Weatherford

        

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