Letters to the Editor

The Comet welcomes letters to the editor responding to articles and events in the news. They must include the author's name, address and telephone number. The letter writer's name and city/town will appear in the paper - no exceptions. Letters must be 400 words or less in length. Please send your letters to: editor@carrollcountycomet. com; Letters to the Editor, Comet, P.O. Box 26, Flora, IN 46929 or P.O. Box 179, Delphi, IN 46923; or fax 574-967-3384 or 765-564-2010. By submitting a letter or opinion article, the author grants the Comet the right to publish, distribute, archive or use the work in print, electronic, on-line or other format.

Commends Ashby

I feel the need to respond to the attack on Councilman Steve Ashby. I've known Steve for several years and have seen first hand how he managed a budget as a teacher. He ran an excellent automotive and technology program while at Carroll.

As far as spending goes, if you are buying something for yourself with your own money, you care about price and quality. If you are buying something for yourself with someone else's money you care about quality but not price. If you buy something for someone else with your money, you care about price but not quality. If you buy something for someone else with someone else's money, you don't care about quality or price.

Almost all politicians fall within that last category but I know for a fact that Steve Ashby does not. Steve seems to be a lone voice of reason when it comes to the stewardship of our money. I was excited to read of his suggestion of moving the museum out of the courthouse and moving the extension office in to save the taxpayers $14,000 a year. It is high time that our politicians quit spending the money of their constituents like drunken sailors.

Commissioner Brown, if the museum brings in so many visitors, why not charge them admission? Can you offer any evidence in actual dollars that proves the museum brings in more revenue to the county than what it costs to operate it?

You can only speculate. If visitors aren't willing to pay $5 to see what our museum has to offer, they aren't going to come to Carroll County as a tourist.

I think that the commissioners, councilmen, auditor and treasurer should have to sit in the county jail until they can get the county's finance issues resolved. I'm sure the proper solutions will be implemented rather quickly then. They got us into this mess, it is their responsibility to get us out of it. I hope people remember this come election time.

Darren Pullen

Bringhurst

Praises finance committee's efforts

Thank you, Ann Brown, Ron Slavens, and Steve Ashby, the Carroll County Council's finance subcommittee members who are/have been trying to sort out the county's financial mess, especially Ron Slavens whose four-year degree in accounting is proving very useful to the county. It looks like all of you are making great progress. That's why it's hard to understand why Council president Rob Baker for a long time, wanted to remove you and put others on the job instead (Carroll County Comet, Nov. 21, 2007). I hope you succeed.

$4,000,000 that was in the cash reserve, plus about $1,000,000 that the county is in the red for this year, is a lot of money to be unaccounted for. (I understand the tax rebate that's said will put the county general fund in the black for this year is not recommended to be used for that purpose, according to the state. I hope someone can clear that up.) To repeat, about $5,000,000 compared to an annual county budget of about $6-7,000,000 is a lot of money to be unaccounted for.

Thanks to the Comet too for really digging into this and publishing many detailed articles about it, although the Monticello Reminder was the first to bring this to our attention last summer.

And yes, it does matter how we got here. It's our money and we want to know where it went. It's said our taxes will be raised to make up for this wild spending. How can we avoid making these awful mistakes again if we don't know what happened this time? Too many of our elected county officials have had their heads stuck in the sand on this.

Joanne Ratcliff

Delphi

County being led to slaughter

I do not know how many county residents are familiar with the term "Judas goat." This name and term was given to a goat trained to lead livestock to slaughter.

Figuratively, it appears we have a "Judas goat" alive and well within Carroll County. This "goat" entered under the pretense of economic development and is leading the county to economic and cultural decimation.

Before rejecting the aforementioned statements as being a misrepresentation, and erroneous assessment, please consider the status of the county prior to the implementation of "economic development."

A solvent treasury existed containing sufficient funds to construct a new correctional facility, without a bonded indebtedness (I believe we paid cash.)

County schools were of the highest caliber and the envy of other districts. Now, as per an article in the Comet, parents in one district are considering paying tuition so that their children may obtain their education in a district they consider superior.

Our roads were in good serviceable condition and we weren't assessed a wheel tax. What are the present road conditions?

When questioned about financial returns (taxes) from the Cutler dairy project, both Daryl Smith the current director of "economic development" and Commissioner Bill Brown, a former director, professed to have no knowledge of taxing policies. To use a modified version of an old colloquial term, "this is a heck of a way to run a railroad."

If current and previous directors aren't knowledgeable regarding taxing policies and statutes, how do they assess and calculate financial benefits (returns) to the county from investments in economic development?

Moreover, without accurate certified public accounting, what criteria do they employ to justify spending your tax dollars on this financial boondoggle?

I could cite numerous other conditions and items, however I am positive these haven't escaped your observation.

Perhaps if the commissioners had acted in a more prudent manner, funds would have been available for the museum.

Carl Perry, Carroll County resident,

Rossville