>From: "Richard Kimball" <richkimball@hotmail.com> >To: sianoil@hotmail.com >Subject: Cemetery Commission budget >Date: Mon, 01 Oct 2001 21:14:07 -0500 > >LETTER TO THE EDITOR: > >Show a little respect! > >Recent budget cuts by the Knox County Council have been met with much >dismay, but none so pathetic as the budget for the Knox County Cemetery >Commission. After the County Council invested nearly $40,000.00 of >taxpayer's money over the last few years to restore and protect over 30 >abandoned cemeteries in this county, the Cemetery Commission's budget was >"slashed" once again to a pitiful $1,000.00. How many cemeteries can be >mowed and taken care of with $1,000.00? >Money, hard work, interest and respect will all soon be lost, as Township >Trustees, whose job it is to maintain these cemeteries, will undoubtedly >turn their backs as they have in the past and ignore the ongoing problem of >care. Why? Mainly because most Trustees (not all), who are elected >officials and have their own budgets for cemetery maintenance, have no >respect and they neglect to do their job. Yet, they certainly collect their >pay! All are required by law to maintain these cemeteries, yet in the past >the conditions of some of these have been deplorable. They seem to answer >to no one and what's worse is that many people don't even seem to care. >The County Council doesn't seem to care or they would have made, out of >respect, the utmost effort to find at least the necessary maintenance funds >for next year's budget. This would have enabled the Cemetery Commission to >finish what was started a few years back and see it through to the end. >Unfortunately, the upkeep and maintenance of cemeteries doesn't wait very >long on budgets. As each season passes, weeds continue to grow worse than >the year before, stones continue to crumble and our cultural resources and >respect are lost. >The Knox County Cemetery Commission should be commended for their efforts >and a job well done. As for the rest, if this is any indication as to how >our elected officials prioritize their responsibilities, it isn't any >wonder that we are in the shape we're in. Just show a little respect! > >Richard Kimball >P.O. Box 581 >Petersburg, IN 47591 > > > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp