Letters and comments for March 7, 2011

Willing to pay for services

To the Editor:

I am responding to Jessica Elmer’s letter which states, “The majority of La Grande residents do not want to see our taxes raised.” I don’t know if the populace has been adequately polled to determine if that notion is true.

The public safety bond presented to the voters last November raised taxes for one specific purpose, was flawed and the results may not reflect how the citizens of La Grande feel about taxes.

I would like to let the La Grande City Council as well as state and national elected officials know that I am happy to pay more in taxes.

I absolutely do not want services such as the pool, the library, parks and public safety to be cut any more. I want better roads than we currently have in the city. I certainly want our schools to provide a better education for my children than they are currently able to provide. And I am willing to pay for all of these things to ensure a certain standard of living and quality of life in La Grande.

Of course, I do not want my tax money to be wasted. I want the government to run as efficiently as private sector businesses are forced to run in this economy. I think the city has some expenses that could be trimmed, but the city budget is generally pretty lean (take a look at it line for line like I have).

If the services that offer a good quality of life are taken away, then I may not want to live here anymore. The anti-tax enthusiasts can have the poor roads, no recreation and poor service from public safety that will come with the budget cuts that will result if taxes are not raised. That’s not how I want my family to live.

Corrine Dutto

La Grande

Professional performance

To the Editor:

I have been fortunate to attend all of the plays presented at the Elgin Opera House this year, and I must say they have all been enjoyable and done in a professional manner.

The recent production of “Nunsense,” directed by Denise Wheeler, was outstanding with a great support cast including Jocelyn Berado, Brenna Miller, Caitlin O’Brien, Erin Zelazny, Laura Chadwick, Stephanie Hall and Wheeler.

The music, delivery of lines, staging and costumes all added to a professional performance. I agreed with one patron leaving the play that this performance could easily be done off Broadway.

It is so nice to have this quality of talent in our area, and would encourage others to take advantage of productions within the community.

Gerald Hopkins

Summerville