> SOUTHERN INDIANA — Reader responds to retired judge’s letter



In a letter published on these pages Aug. 22, retired Clark County Superior Court Judge Steven Fleece asserted that my “pants could catch on fire,” a sophomoric phrase accusing me of being a liar. As I am now retired and somewhat disabled, challenging him to a duel is somewhat inconvenient, so I determined to respond in this fashion.

His ire was raised by my reference to Michael Gerson, a Washington Post columnist who also often appears on the hallowed editorial pages of the Courier-Journal, as “mostly liberal,” in a letter published here Aug. 18.

Both of the famously liberal newspapers noted above surely consider Gerson to be not terribly conservative, as both feature his work on their editorial pages as evidence of their claimed even-handedness. More importantly, this was not the main thrust of my letter, but merely an introduction to its two main points, which were as follows:

1. By reducing future Medicare reimbursements to doctors, hospitals, etc., by an estimated $500 Billion (now estimated at $716 billion over one decade) and using those “savings” to justify part of the cost of Obamacare, the Democrats actually are, in fact, using Medicare as a piggybank for Obamacare.

These huge reductions in Medicare reimbursements will impact present seniors very dramatically. Medicare reimbursements ultimately will sink below those allowed for Medicaid. Fewer and fewer doctors, etc., will accept Medicare patients. Waiting times for procedures will grow from days to weeks to months, as in Canada and Great Britain today. Those who paid into Medicare for their entire working lives will be sacrificed upon the altar of liberal aspiration.

The re-election of President Obama would render impossible any escape from these consequences.

2. No person presently older than 54 will ever be affected by any future change proposed by Romney-Ryan.

These proposals are designed to save Medicare for present seniors and future generations. If no changes are effected, Medicare's hospital trust fund will be insolvent by 2024, the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees have concluded.

The choice for voters is not between the Romney-Ryan plan and “Medicare as we know it.” The choice for voters is between the Romney-Ryan plan and nothing. The Democrats have formulated no plan at all to address the looming end of Medicare. None at all.

Like the good Democrat I assume he is, Judge Fleece responds just as the Obama Campaign has responded to the issues vital to the challenges facing the nation today. He ignores them. He misdirects. He introduces some alternate issue, much less important, in an attempt to deflect attention from the main issues and questions, to which neither he nor the Obama Campaign has any response.

He even concludes with a sneering reference to the Tea Party, besmirching concerned, law-abiding, productive citizens who wish only to return this nation to the Constitutional principles that allowed it to become the one nation to which people all over the world aspire.

— Thomas W. Sinex, Sellersburg



Clarksville reader urges action on voting method



This is a letter that is directed to the voters in the town of Clarksville, of which I am a long-time resident.

It has been said that all politics are local. I believe this is the way a representative republic should be, such as we have here in the United States of America and most especially right here in Clarksville.

However, at present this is not the case. We do not have district voting.  In other words, we have politicians who represent me and you who do not live near us but could actually live on the opposite side of town and have no idea of the issues in your neighborhood, your needs and desires and cannot adequately represent your concerns in our governing political body.

To illustrate the point, I am trying to emphasize this very probable scenario: You have an issue that the town council needs to address and the proper channels are sought to bring the issue before the council. However, no council person lives near you or in your district, and each of the council members who lives in a completely different part of town has a next door neighbor, a lady across the street or a family around the corner who also has issues that need attention.  Whose is going to be addressed first and whose is going to be addressed last, if at all?

Is this the type of representation you and I deserve? We can change this — after all — this is our government, too.

I urge all the fine residents of Clarksville to contact councilmen Mr. Polston, Mr. Kraft, Mr. Tetley and Mr. Popp to let them know of the need for district voting in order to have local representation for you and your family. Their phones numbers and email addresses can be found at http://www.town.clarksville.in.us/town_council.php

Please do not be complacent about this issue. It is truly our freedom that is at risk. The manner in which Clarksville is governed at present could just as well be governed by Jeffersonville or New Albany. Do not let it remain this way.  Contact these councilmen today and let them know we demand change.

— Teresa J. Ballew, Clarksville