Thursday, Jan. 9, 2003

By Staff
Water association not to blame
To the editor:
This is in reference to the letter writer who said that her water was cut off due to not paying her bill ("Is this the way business is supposed to work?" Jan. 6). This lady has no reason to be upset with the North Lauderdale Water Association. They are in the business of providing a service to the public for a fee.
If you get a water bill at the same time every month, you should expect a bill at the same time in the following months. This homeowner should have contacted the water company and advised them that she had not received a bill by the expected due date and would like to know the balance due, then pay it.
The problem does not lie with the water association. I am sure they would be glad to provide billing information for customers over the phone or even the Internet when a person requests it in a timely manner.
Financial responsibility relies on the homeowner, not the water association.
Jim Gonzalez
Meridian
Tort reform crisis created by insurance industry
To the editor:
Our great legislative leaders, big business and the insurance industry has gotten us to pass tort reform. We were told this was necessary to get lower insurance rates, get new business in Mississippi and keep the doctors from leaving.
Where are the new businesses? Has anyone in the entire state received notice of a lower insurance premium on any type of policy?
Before tort reform, according to the State Medical License office, 19 doctors left the state in 2 years and 197 were applying to come to the state. State Farm, our good neighbor, waited until the tort reform issue had passed and then applied for a 49 percent to 79 percent rate increase. I wonder why they waited until after tort reform passed.
Maybe the tort reform crisis was created by the insurance industry instead of by the attorneys.
Roland N. Reeves
Biloxi
Thanks for caring
To the editor:
The 2002 holiday season is now but a memory. What a wonderful and joyous time it was at Care Lodge Domestic Violence Shelter. Now, that may sound odd describing the holidays at a shelter as wonderful and joyous. The donation of gifts, food, financial support and love from the community made the holidays for the families at the shelter a special time of happiness and delight.
It was because of the caring and generosity of individuals, churches and organizations that we could continue to help those families through a most difficult period. There were so many who contributed to ensure that our clients had a peaceful and safe holiday.
We send our deepest appreciation and gratitude and wish everyone a most happy and prosperous new year.
Leslie Payne
Executive Director
Care Lodge Domestic
Violence Shelter
Meridian
The problem with taking out' Saddam
To the editor:
Recently, in support of the war on Iraq, a United Methodist minister said: "If we take out this guy and that guy and another guy, the risk of terrorism is severely reduced."
My problem with this approach is that, when we "take out" a guy, we take out a whole host of other guys. Often it is a lot of innocent, helpless little guys.
If it were possible for us to "take out this guy and that guy" and all the guys that we consider our enemy, the real enemy would still be as close as our own hearts and minds, because the real enemy is a spirit: the spirit of ignorance, greed, selfishness and hate.
Our incredibly expensive military machine is useless against this enemy.
C.E. Swain
Carthage