Published: November 27, 2008 08:23 am            

READERS' FORUM 11/29 | Windber council’s thinking is archaic

As a property owner and taxpayer in Windber Borough, I am appalled at the cavalier attitude of borough council in proposing a three-mill tax increase, especially at a time when we are in the midst of economic calamity.

As Councilman James Furmanchik states, residents “would be more upset with a reduction in services.” What is more important to the fixed-income or any average taxpayer – money for food, heat in the winter, and medicines, or money spent on increased taxes for municipal services?

What is the council thinking?

One needs to remember that just a few months ago the negligent actions taken by the majority of this council in disapproving, against the advice of its own solicitor in a public meeting, a development by RMB Realty and the Sheetz organization to convert dilapidated, vacant and old worn-out buildings into a new and modern building that would surely increase the existing tax base of the current properties.

Not only did this council turn up its noses at this proposed increased real-estate tax base, but now it is spending our tax dollars to defend its actions in the Somerset County courts.

How much of this millage increase, if any, is really needed? Or is it a result of such arrogant thinking?

Windber can have no future and no growth when the majority of the council thinks with a 19th-century mind-set in the 21st century.

Timothy Trabold

Windber



Show presidents respect they deserve

Doesn’t it make you wonder why the news media force upon us the name President-elect Barack Obama, but still calls President Bush “Mr. Bush”?

The media have called him “Mr. Bush” for eight years, yet they call Bill Clinton “President Clinton.”

Once a person is inaugurated as president, his name is always preceded by “President.”

Now we are told to show Obama respect.

I wonder who really owns the news media, and what the bigger picture is.

The media definitely don’t want us to think on our own, and they sway the people into thinking what the media want.

Dorothy C. Wilson

Mineral Point



Christian holiday under attack, again

Here we go again. The celebration of Christmas, the birth of our Lord, is coming. Out of the woodwork come the people who want to put down our Christian holiday.

There is an organization known as the Humanist Group that is spending $40,000 on ads that say, “Why believe in God? Just be good for goodness sake.”

How crazy is that?

There are people who want us to say merry holiday instead of merry Christmas.

I don’t see these people saying anything against other religions that celebrate their holidays – and that’s the way it should be. No one should put down anyone else’s religious holidays.

To take Christ out of Christmas is to let the door open to evil. The first word in Christmas is Christ.

Our country is in enough trouble. More than ever, we need Christ in our lives.

Christ did not create the world to dishonor him. We are here to love, honor and obey him.

One more thought for those who don’t believe in Christ and may believe in the big bang theory. Isn’t it something how every little thing just fell into place, the planets, oceans, sand and all of God’s creatures of the earth and sea? Amazing what perfect order things are in.

If that isn’t enough to make you think that there is a supreme being, then there is no hope for you to believe in Christmas.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Christ.

Joseph T. Torchia Sr.

Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., and Johnstown



Marriage annulled, but alimony enforced

Only in America – or should I say only in Pennsylvania, or only in Cambria County – can a person be granted a civil annulment, not a divorce, and be ordered to pay alimony.

The dictionary defines annulment as “to declare invalid.” I had an 18-month marriage ruled invalid by the Commonealth of Pennsylvania, yet was ordered to pay alimony to a woman I was never married to. Yes, only in America.

This woman committed fraud on a marriage license by lying concerning how many times she had been married. She stated that she had been married three times, but I was actually her fifth husband.

She used her second husband’s last name, and she stated that one of her husbands was deceased.

But he is very much alive.

My annulled (invalid) wife filed a protection from abuse (PFA) against me in order to receive spousal support. She also has filed PFAs on her previous three husbands.

I had witnesses to the supposed incident and was found innocent. It appears to me that the system in Pennsylvania works against truly innocent spouses, but works in favor of the the fraudulent and manipulative people in society.

I was ordered to pay more than $10,000 in alimony and paid out more than $26,000 in court costs and attorney fees to a person I believe committed fraud on a state document (marriage license).

Rick Costlow

Johnstown

        

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