Letters and Comments for September 24, 2009

Letters and Comments for September 24, 2009

Look at spending cuts

To the Editor:

The La Grande City Council is looking for ways to increase revenues by raising fees that will affect a lot if not all of the citizens of the city. A tax increase is also being considered in the middle of these difficult financial times for many people. Hard to believe isn’t it? We are told that there is not enough money, yet new vehicles have been purchased by the Public Works Department.

Instead of raising revenues and therefore continuing to spend at current levels or above, elected officials in all governments should look at spending cuts to balance budgets like all of us have to do.

Daniel Pokorney

La Grande

Refreshing view of education

To the Editor:

How refreshing to see the Portraits feature in the Tuesday Observer showing teachers and happy students in school.

It seems at the start of every school year we are exposed to a steady stream of negative views of school. This year, my informal survey of the comics revealed over 90 percent of them portrayed school as “bad.” How does this country expect to “race to the top” when the culture generally denigrates education?

Thanks for showing caring teachers and children engaged in positive learning experiences.

Carol Lauritzen

La Grande