School policy questioned

I am writing to express my concern over how Lebanon High School is being run with the new attendance and open/closed campus policies.

I strongly disagree with the criteria that need to be met in order to leave campus. Having to use absences excused or unexcused is completely absurd. To my three children, who are all above 3.5 grade level and never had an unexcused absence, it is completely unfair. Using excused absences as part of the criteria is completely taking my parental right and throwing it out the door.

In order for you to appeal, you have to go in front of a panel of students and present your story. Come on, it's high school. Remember your high school days. Kids are kids. They plot and plan to see who they can upset. If the appeal process doesn't work, then there better be something else ready to back it up or you are going to have a lot of angry kids who feel they deserve fairness.

Now that the kids have to stay at school for lunch, they are paying more for lunch than they would be elsewhere. If they are going to force kids to stay on campus, lunch should be available for a reasonable price that all can afford.

High school is to be a memory building part of young adults' life. My kids dread going to class everyday. The morale is way down, and a lot of students are angry over all of this.

We are talking about the future of Lebanon. We strive for strong schools to attract more business to our town, but if things aren't run right, they won't come.

Eric & Sherri Parker, Lebanon

What the governor achieved

Just a few months ago during the primary elections for governor the TV ad by Kevin Mannix showing a chicken crossing the road in the background said, "Ron Saxton supported an increase in Multnomah County and Portland's business income tax" (Statesman Journal 5/1/06)… . This was Mannix, a Republican telling the voters that Ron Saxton is not qualified to be governor just a few months ago. I don't think that Ron Saxton has changed his past ways in just a few months.

Ron Saxton complained about the TV commercial by Kevin Mannix using negative tactics during the primary election. And now in August Saxton used a negative commercial asking us to name just one thing Governor Kulongoski has achieved.

To answer the question, Governor Kulongoski using the "Economic Development Plan" issued a low-interest loan to the city of Lebanon, saving the taxpayers from having to have a bond issue. Space prohibits listing more achievements of the governor.

Elden B. Huntling, Lebanon

Against car-insurance fee

It is apparent to me that our governor doesn't think things through very well as to how fair a state fee on car insurance would be. That would put an additional burden on those people who are honest enough to get car insurance, while there are hundreds of drivers out there who won't get car insurance. We read about it very often: So and so had an accident, no car insurance.

Furthermore, it is very hard for me to believe there is actually a shortage of funds to run the state police after reading in the 9/07/06 D-H about a patrol officer in the city of Albany receiving $5,015 a month for doing absolutely nothing since December 2004. If the state police has the same rules regarding paid administrative leave, that is ridiculous.

Remember this, Albany voters, come the next election when more money is needed to run the police department. Also, remember Kulongoski's idea come election time this November. He may be just "thinking" about it now, but what else will he come up with?

A.P. Strickler, Lebanon

Paint balls in Tangent park

In the park behind my house flies a flag, which honors the fallen soldiers and all the veterans. My community put this flag pole up about two months ago and already it has been vandalized.

I live in Tangent; my name is Brittany, and I love being able to look out my window and see that beautiful flag whenever I want to. I was at the dedication of this flag pole, as were a lot of people who spent their own time planning it and putting it together. It almost brought tears down my face when my younger brother told me that two teenage boys were playing paint ball in the park and he thought one had hit the plaque which sits in front of the flag pole.

I don't understand how teenagers could shoot paint balls at something that means so much to our community, then just leave it there.

Having that flag pole right there is awesome. This neighborhood has a lot of veterans and a family which lost a son and brother over in Iraq. It means a lot to us to have it there. I just wish that those two boys had a little bit more appreciation for the freedoms they have because without all of our veterans and fallen soldiers, they wouldn't be able to play paint ball in our park.

So, I hope next time they show a little more respect.

Brittany Troyer, Tangent