Published: September 05, 2009 12:47 am      

Letters to the Editor 9/6/09

Budget cut concerns

To the Editor: I read in Wednesday’s Sept. 2 paper about our city leaders’ struggle to balance the budget. The senior citizen center was among the programs they were thinking about cutting, also the summer swim program. Well, you’re going to hurt the very young and the very older population. I also noticed the animal shelter was on the list.

I attend the senior citizen center, especially on Mondays, when they have a senior band. This is a wonderful time for the seniors to enjoy country music and fellowship with each other. They also have a following of card and domino players and older men who just meet and talk. They have computers for anyone that wants to use them. They have crafts, crochet lessons and line dancing. They have potluck lunch every month and band appreciation dinner once a month. The very nicest person you would ever want to meet is Fred Biltz, the director. Also, they have bingo on Thursdays. I’m sure I haven’t begun to list the programs they have.

The point is, this is a valuable program for our seniors. Now I ask you, does Corsicana want to grow and move forward, or do they want to move backwards? They continue to go up on taxes, yet can’t seem to provide the people with the things they enjoy and need.

I, for one, would be totally disappointed if they did away with these programs that are such an asset to the community. And I’m not the only one who would be disappointed.

Something is wrong when you can’t even provide a basic thing like the animal shelter! I myself would volunteer my time to keep these programs going.

Bette Nell Rash



To the Editor: To our local government: In the past few years, residents have been burdened by your mistakes and mismanagement.

Last year was bad enough what with property values raised, which increased homeowner taxes, and water rate increases, even though we were advised to conserve water. In the upcoming future we face an increase in trash billing, yet our service is cut in half, another water rate increase, which should be passed on to the out-of-town consumers, and increased ambulance fees — I was transported across the street from my doctor’s office to the hospital, a 10th of a mile and I was charged $400 for the trip and $80 more for gas. This was six years ago.

We also face increases in police fees, garage sale permits, planning and zoning fees, inspection fees, and a $300 increase on burial plots. I am sure there is more.

What this city needs to do is take into account the recession and cut back in their own departments. For example, mandatory monthly cutbacks on hours — let’s say three days a month per employee. Cut out the beautification committee as they charge residents $3 per month on our water bill and accomplish next to nothing.

City government, you can condense jobs and cut back on frivolous charges. We are in a recession. Your loyal residents cannot afford the burden you are putting on us.

Kathi Davison



About Obama speech

To the Editor: (A copy of this letter was sent to Superintendent Denbow)

We are most concerned about many issues in our country today, but most of all, we are concerned about our president using the television to address our school children, during school time, to move forward his personal agenda.

If he insists on doing this, it could be taped, and passed around, and the teachers could use it at their convenience, not during their instructional time.

Our children are impressionable, and they do not have the judgment to discern between what is important, or what is someone’s opinion being forced on them.

Please consider your community, and the wishes of many citizens, and refuse to allow our children to be a “captive audience” at such a crucial time in our nation. Please keep our school free of political biases and agendas.

Executive committee: Glenda Burris, Anne Curtis, Linda Gober, Judy Nelson, Margarita Patterson, Linda Pedersen



Open invitation

To the Editor: I wanted to send an invitation to all the Corsicana community to join our youth explosion on Sept. 19. We will be having an 11 a.m. service where Lonnie Williams from Tyler will be the guest speaker, a great meal and a 5 p.m. benefit concert. The concert is to raise money for the youth department so we can have more events for the youth in community. Everyone is encouraged to come, enjoy the program and participate if they would like to. Any group, choir, praise dance, play, comedy, solo, etc. is welcome. To participate please contact Alleta Stiggers LaGrange at (469) 567-1619 if I’m not available, leave a detailed message and I will respond directly. The location for the event will be at Bethel, 717 E. 13th Ave. Corsicana, (903) 872-8071. Thank you for your support.

Alleta Stiggers LaGrange



Soundoff on Willingham

To the Editor: I read the guest commentary by Hon. Judge John Jackson over and over again to understand his position that Todd Willingham’s guilt was never in doubt (absent the evidence that the fire which killed his three children was intentionally set). Not one of Judge Jackson’s seven points in any way produced evidence that Willingham was guilty of murder.

I understand that Judge Jackson, who was a prosecutor in this case at the time of Willingham’s trial, found him to be an angry and emotionally charged 23 year old man. However, that Jackson believes that Willingham’s conviction and execution are warranted, even in the face that arson cannot be supported with scientific evidence, show that Jackson should not be in a position of judge over the citizens of this state. We should all demand a higher level of accountability and an adherence to evidence, not gut feelings, from our judicial system.

Willingham is dead. Does that eliminate accountability? After all, if he had just been locked up with a life sentence, he’d undoubtedly be given a new trial. I don’t think prosecutors could get a conviction without evidence.

Yes, this is a wake up call, Judge Jackson, for some of us.

Kate Bell



To the Editor: As a radically overtaxed Californian, I have been seriously considering moving my family and business to Texas. The “honorable” Judge Jackson, however, has caused me to rethink Texas as a destination. While California judges are no better, Jackson’s callous disregard for the facts in the case do your state a great disservice.

One can only hope that there is a Lord in Heaven. There is nothing I would like to see more than Jackson held to his own standards when facing the ultimate judgement.

Brett Florio



To the Editor: John Jackson wrote, “The Willingham trial has become a sort of cause celebre by anti-death penalty proponents because it seems to be an example of outmoded scientific techniques which led to a miscarriage of justice.” He may be in part correct but he misses a vital point. Many people, decent law abiding people such as myself, who are not anti-death penalty proponents are equally disturbed by the miscarriage of justice facilitated by Mr. Jackson and his colleagues.

His so-called seven “facts” read like something written for pre-schoolers who lack critical thinking skills and do not have resources to check those facts. Clearly Mr Jackson sees the citizens of Corsicana to be neither very bright nor concerned about an innocent man being executed for the death of his own children.

No doubt he will go to his grave insisting Willingham was guilty. The rest of us now know better.

Mr. Jackson also seemed to scold the Corsicana Daily Sun for what he perceives as a less than investigative job of reporting this story while correctly stating they have at their fingertips the complete details of the trail. Be careful what you hope for, Mr. Jackson. I for one am hoping the Corsicana Daily Sun chooses to put those resources to good use and shed more light on this travesty of justice and what appears to be your unusual if not bizarre and disturbing views on the law.

Again, any decent, law abiding citizen can see Mr. Jackson lead a death squad based on flawed evidence, one need not be an “anti-death penalty proponent” to see that.

Chris Curnutt