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.

Wants criticisms to stop

It seems to me that every time our president opens his mouth about something he is criticizing our country. I frankly do not like it and do not consider that he is speaking for me. He is a disgrace to our soldiers who have given their lives in past wars to make our nation what it is today. Bowing down to world leaders is just a terrible bringing down of America for all the world to see. He may be more dangerous to our country than the outside terrorist threats.

Richard H. Cromer

Bringhurst

Vote NO to big debt

Last week in the Comet several of the science teachers at Delphi Community High School wrote a moving letter about needed repairs in the DCHS science wing. What they said about the needed repairs is absolutely correct. For many years the science wing and science classrooms have been neglected and broken items not fixed. Some of these items have gone neglected for more than 15 years.

The school has a capital projects fund that is budgeted specifically for purchase of carpet, desks, computers, and building maintenance. Over the years I have watched the money in this fund be used for items other than the repairs and maintenance of the buildings.

The renovation project as presented addresses many of the neglected items that are in grave need of repair. The renovation project also includes many items that many voters would consider to be wants and wishes rather than necessities. As voting taxpayers we are only afforded the option of voting for or against the project as presented. We do not have the option of voting for a smaller renovation project.

A "No" vote on the referendum stops the $13 million dollar school renovation project. If the referendum is defeated the school board would still be able to down size the project to a total cost of $7 to $9 million and proceed with the needed renovations to the buildings. This smaller renovation project could address the problems of the science wing, building security and many more needed issues. A smaller project will dramatically reduce the debt repayment and not burden our children with 20 years of payments. I urge you to vote NO to big spending and big debt by voting NO on the referendum.

You can vote absentee at the courthouse on June 11 and 12 or on June 16 you can vote at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church at the intersection of SR39 and Armory Road. This is one of the very few times when your vote can actually determine how your property tax dollars are spent. Please vote and make your opinion known.

Everett Snoeberger

Camden

No mistake

Last Thursday morning (June 4), I witnessed the crew that is installing grinders for the Twin Lakes Regional Sewer District (TLRSD) pumping from either a finger system or from the septic tank on my neighbor's property through a hose that was inserted directly into the drainage ditch that runs to the lake.

I grabbed my camera and immediately confronted the workers, stating that I was reporting the incident - the workers began to frantically scoop up some of the mess that had spilled out onto the ground, removing the hose while I was calling the Carroll County Health Officer, Kris Jones. I insisted that he come out and inspect the area. Meanwhile, a tank truck was called to the scene.

When Jones arrived, he stated to me that it was a mistake. I suggested that he assess a fine for dumping septic contents into a drainage ditch that surfaces and runs alongside the road before it drains into the lake. He said "No" he did not intend to fine them for a mistake….

I question how it could be a mistake when a hose was deliberately placed down into the grill of the drainage ditch and smelly, gooey stuff was being pumped into the ditch! The only mistake I can see is that they got away with it!

Dave Allen

Jefferson Township

Support DCSC renovation/repairs

As graduates of Delphi Community High School we feel compelled to share our perspective regarding the proposed renovations and repairs.

At Delphi, we each took science classes at the highest levels, continued to collegiate science degrees and are currently in our careers of medicine and business. The state of the science wing was not the best when we were students, although we did have running water and gas to conduct experiments. We were each prepared for our chemistry and biology classes at college. However, most of that success can be attributed to the strong science teachers we had who were able to teach and engage us - in spite of the poor facilities and equipment. The differences between our facilities at our colleges, when compared to those of our high school, was astounding. Yet, we were expected to perform without previous experience with much of the new science technology. It is our understanding that there have been no improvements or developments in the facilities since our departure from Delphi and existing facilities have fallen into disrepair. The disrepair is not visible from the outside.

Our school is attractive and looks spacious and modern upon entering the facility. The deterioration is "inside the body." The wiring and electrical are not modern enough to handle the exploding demand for computers and other electronic devices.

Students must enter college with the skills required and expected at the university level. This is impossible in a school where there is little ability to conduct laboratory work, limited ability to access advancing science and computer technology and an outdated building. How can we expect future students to compete for colleges or jobs when they lack fundamental components of their education within the current facility? How can we expect strong teachers to be attracted to Delphi when they are expected to teach science in rooms where they cannot fully teach?

Future students deserve access to a science and technological education at least equivalent with students against whom they will soon compete in this economy.

Christopher J. Huffer, M.D.

(Class of 1996) Abigail A. Huffer, J.D.,

M.B.A (Class of 2000)

Indianapolis

Informing the voters

In last Wednesday's edition of the Comet, there appeared an editorial entitled "Time to vote" that made misstatements.

First, the editorial states that the school corporation is seeking to borrow more money than allowed by state statute for a building project. This statement is wrong. No state statute exists that caps the amount of money that can be borrowed for a local building project. Instead, Indiana laws enacted in 2008 give the power to the voters in each community to determine that amount of money a local government like a school corporation may borrow for a project. This law is found in Indiana Code 6-1.1-20-3.6, and the school corporation is following that law.

Second, the editorial says the $13 million building renovation project will likely cost $21 million over 20 years" This statement is also wrong. Indiana law requires governmental entities to establish maximums for any financing of a building project and clearly states that those maximums cannot be exceeded for the financing unless the governmental entity repeats all of the legal process. Therefore, when the school board adopted its resolution for the building project in November of 2008, it wanted to make sure it gave the community the worse possible scenario for the financing and would not have to repeat the process because of rising interest rates. So, the resolution adopted by the school board did state the total repaymetnt of the principal and interest would be no greater than $21,760,000, but this amount was based on interest rates of 5.5%. This maximum interest rate is more than one percent higher than current interest rates for municipal school bonds, and these current municipal bond rates of about 4.5% have been fairly constant for the last six months or so. In addition, we anticipate funding a portion of the project with the new tax credit bonds permitted by the 2009 U.S. Recovery Act enacted in February of this year. These tax-credit bonds, to the extent they are made available to us by the governor and superintendent of public instruction, will require the payment of interest rates of less than one percent. This would make the repayment cost of the project closer to $13 million instead of $21 million. Based on these truths, I don't believe anyone can assess what the likely cost of the repayment for the project will be at the present time. All we know is that it won't cost the community more than $21,760,000.

Jeffery J. Qualkinbush,

DCSC bond lawyer

Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Indianapolis

Our future is now

The Comet's recent editorial stated that the Delphi Community School Corporation wanted to borrow more money than state statute allows. What statute? Indiana Code 6-1.1-20-3.5 and 3.6 spells out school building projects. It does not cap the amount that can be borrowed.

The Comet also criticized current school board members for not making needed repairs to the building but instead spent close to $1 million to build a new track. A new track was built after the previous track was closed due to being unsafe for use. The track had to be replaced not only for athletic teams, but also for physical education classes. Due to the scope of the repairs needed for the buildings, such as electrical upgrades and lab replacements, the dollars spent to install the track would not even come close to making the repairs to the buildings in the fashion that the work has to be accomplished. The installation of the new track not only replaced the running surface, but it also solved major drainage issues in that area of the campus. Unsafe and high operating cost lighting was replaced.

Taxpayers of the corporation need to realize the history behind why repairs were unable to be made by this board and prior boards.

First, when the Capital Projects Fund (CPF) began, schools could raise $1.25 per $100 of valuation. Over time the various administrations wanted to cut property taxes so they lowered the CPF and capped the maximum that could be raised so it would be approximately 80¢. It is only one-third of that now because of real property values. Delphi's was around 30¢ last year. The point is that cuts from the original $1.25 over a 10-year period saved taxpayers $4 million at the expense of school deterioration.

Secondly, it was capped back in 1973 on the amount that we could raise in the general fund and we were capped very low compared to many other schools. So DCSC has not been able to raise as much money as many other school districts for almost 40 years; saving the taxpayers in this school district millions of dollars compared to other taxpayers across the state. Some people are complaining about $13 million. The boards could have kept our buildings up if they had the extra money that some school corporations were able to raise.

Also, many people forget that a few years ago, Delphi had a severe mold problem. To solve the problem, a major project was undertaken costing over $4 million. For some reason, probably due to existing bond issues, this project was being paid for from the CPF. Therefore, the corporation was paying over $400,000 a year from this fund. This was $400,000 of repairs each year that could not be done. About four years ago the board removed these costs from the CPF and merged it with a lower bond issue, allowing the corporation to start making some of the smaller repairs needed.

When the computer age hit it was determined by the State Board of Accounts that all computer (technology) expenses must come from the CPF. Every year more and more money is needed to keep up with these needs. Computers, programs and other technology related equipment takes many dollars from this fund. This leaves less and less money available for repairs.

Three years ago when the new superintendent was hired, the corporation was in terrible financial shape. There was less than a $500,000 cash balance. Today, after three years under his leadership and the work of the past two setting boards, the corporation has over a $2 million cash balance. It appears that some sound financial planning was used.

The DCSC is one of the largest employers and has one of the largest physical plants in the county. Like any other large corporation, they must keep the facility up to date, to provide not only for today's needs, but also for the needs of the future. They cannot make these upgrades from profits. Tax dollars are the only way to fund these needs.

Whether this renovation project goes forward or not, it is not a win or loss for the school board or superintendent. If the project does not go forward the losers here will be the students and the taxpayers. The students will lose because they will be kept from benefiting from an up-to-date facility that can offer the programs they need. The taxpayers will lose as it will cost them much more to make not only the needed repairs, but the repairs that will only get worse with time.

Robert R. Resler

Delphi