Published: July 01, 2009 02:34 pm         

Readers' Forum for 7/2

Help the needy with energy bills



The number-one call for help in Indiana is to pay utility bills, increasing over 80 percent in one year. Indiana’s budget contains no aid for families struggling to afford this necessity, but last winter almost 198,000 families received heating assistance through the federal Low Income Home Energy Program (LIHEAP), most of whom are particularly vulnerable to temperature extremes because of disability or age.

For three years, Indiana has wisely chosen to exempt LIHEAP from state sales tax, increasing LIHEAP buying power by 7 percent. Unless legislators act now, this tax exemption will expire. The only rationale for reinstating LIHEAP sales tax would be to collect more revenue.

Our budget should not be balanced by taxing vulnerable Hoosiers for a necessity.

Rep. Bill Crawford and Sen. Luke Kenley, budget writers for the House and Senate, have commendably funded food banks in their proposed state budgets, and both have acted in previous sessions to pass the LIHEAP sales tax exemption.

It is time to again help struggling Hoosiers heat and cool their homes by allowing them full benefit of our federal utility assistance. Rep. Crawford has included the LIHEAP sales tax exemption in the House budget. The Senate should follow suit.

— Edward Gerardot

Indiana Community

Action Association

June Lyle, AARP

Glenn Tebbe, Indiana

Catholic Conference

Josephine Hughes,

National Association of

Social Workers,

Indiana Chapter



We need rational discourse, not hate



The letter written by Ron Hastings on the subject of cartoonist Tom Toles was of the same hateful, inaccurate thinking as the cartoon writer.

1. There were and continue to be many rumors of al-Qaida attacks on the United States before Bush and during the Bush years, and no one could have predicted the 9/11 attacks in detail enough to stop them. There were no new attacks during the Bush administration as a result of aggressive counter-intelligence action. There were numerous attacks under the Clinton administration.

Bush and Cheney went to war only after an overwhelming “yes” vote in Congress, supported by our current secretary of state, vice president, and Senate majority leader, all Democrats. Obama was not in Congress.

2. The current deep recession we are suffering was directly tied to government decrees to banks, to lend money to people on housing when they couldn’t afford to make the payments.

Bad loans were then bought by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, both government creations.

The responsibility is shared by greedy banks, irresponsible home buyers, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, and the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates too low too long, and the administrations of Carter, Bush Sr., Clinton, and the last Bush administration. The major reason was affirmative lending for poor people on housing they could not pay for, and the idea that everyone should have a house even when they can’t pay.

The American people have been taking on debt they can’t afford, just as the current administration is taking on massive debt for our children and grandchildren.

Comparing Bush and Cheney to Saddam, and waterboarding to Saddam’s sadistic torture along with his sons, is unfair. Obama, when in Cairo, used his middle name Hussein and speaks of his experience in Indonesia as a result of his stepfather being a Muslim. I accept that Obama is a Christian.

Rational discourse in politics is important, and informed opinion is essential for accuracy and learning.

The type of hate displayed by most of Toles’ cartoons, and Ron Hastings’ hateful inaccurate accusations, inflame, but don’t inform.

— Neal J. Ganly

Terre Haute



Hell awaits as reward for theft



Between Sunday, June 21, and Tuesday, June 23, someone stole three flower baskets from my wife’s grave in Calvary Cemetery. The vermin slithered over the fence between Deming Park and Calvary Cemetery.

I’m sure the individuals who completed the act of vandalism are smiling at their success.

When the Man rings the bell at the End, all will see the video replay of this act of vandalism, then I will see justice as the Man sends them to Hell for their reward of vandalism.

— Ron DePasse

Terre Haute