Rethink education bill, expansion

To the editor:

I have two items to discuss today. One involves the Indiana legislature’s attempt to spend tax money on private schools and the other involves the stone quarry.

In the matter of the schools, our taxes are paid to support public schools, among other items. If we were to apply some of that money to private schools, then there would be lower support for public schools and lower quality education, followed by, we taxpayers could pay for college courses, too.

I can’t even imagine the uproar that would cause.

If parents and the rest of us had to pay those bills, none of us could afford to live in Indiana, that’s for sure.

I believe that if parents desire a better education for their children, that should be paid from their own pockets, not the pockets of the community. That’s why private schools have been only for the privileged few. You would be asking regular families to help pay for private schools for others, even thought you can’t afford it for your own.

Now, the stone quarry. The new area it wants to expand to would create all kinds of hardships for the City of Portland.

I drive through a lot of that expansion area all the time. It will be a traffic nightmare for anyone who lives near it.

It will also completely ruin property values for anything near it, and cut the chances for Portland to grow. It’s like cutting off that whole area of town.

Plus, I can’t even imagine the damage to the cemetery, as it is also close by.

US Aggregates needs to look for property at least 5 miles from cities and other busy areas. This location is totally not compatible with what its needs are, and I suggest it look at other areas.

I realize being near to where they already are sounds good, but it’s a no go.

Verna R. Loper

Portland