Title rightly belongs to our troops

1/3/2004

I am writing in response to Mona Charen's Dec. 27 column. How dare she begrudge the American soldier the honor to be named Time magazine's Person of the Year?

For one brief moment, an honor was bestowed without any political attachment. Our troops have given their all. Some made the ultimate sacrifice and she laments that George W. Bush was not named the person of the year. Where is Ms. Charen's pride and support of our troops? She should get off her conservative political soapbox and be proud of our troops. My son has been deployed for 10 months and I found her comment very offensive. Evidently she does not have a loved one in Iraq or she would not have said, “It seems pretty evident that the editors of Time were desperate to find someone, anyone to name instead of George W. Bush.”

In my opinion, Ms. Charen's statement aimed at the American soldier was very insensitive and cold-hearted.

JOSEPHINE McCONNELL

Sunset Boulevard

I bought a home in November and just received my property tax bill. The taxes went up; but that's not why I'm writing. I was stunned to have the bill say to make checks payable to Ray Kest, CPA.

I owned my last home in Pennsylvania, and always addressed my checks to the Treasurer of ____ County. I am horrified to think that I'm writing a property tax to an individual - especially one with very questionable conduct. What is to keep Mr. Kest from depositing every homeowner's check and dashing off to the Caribbean?

I paid my taxes, made the check payable to “Treasurer of Lucas County” - I assume it will be cashed. Seems to me, though, that something needs to be done about the tax collection system currently in existence.

C.D. DECKER

Sylvania

I was disgusted that the Northview girls basketball team beat Rossford 100 to 39. Come on, coaches, what are you trying to prove?

If that wasn't bad enough, a Dec. 14 story spoke of the Northview Girls “Trashing Central,” 65-35.

There is no excuse to run a score up and humiliate a team any more than it already is. They must be using a different dictionary than I do when looking up the meaning of coaching and sportsmanship. What lessons are they teaching their team? At least their opponents can stand proud that they continue to try their best even if they know they will be defeated!

Call me a bad sport? I think not!

MARY LOU TADAYESKY

Waterville

A busy holiday season

Gee, December was quite a month. I resigned from the Newt Gingrich-advised AARP and the Lloyd Mahaffey-advised Paula Ross branch of the Democratic Party. But I joined the Democrats-for-Harry-Barlos.

Oh, by the way, since Turkey decided not to send troops to Iraq, do we get the soldier “rental fee” back?

JIM RICHARD

Algonquin Parkway