Facts, figures not reported
Dear Editor,
I am in full agreement with Neil Blakeslee’s letter a couple weeks back in which he chastised local media for not keeping citizenry properly informed. Sorry to do this, but I have to also add to the criticism. When are we residents going to see some news that is important to us as taxpayers?
The City recently passed a budget-which I bet involved some very interesting discussions, given the loss of a major source of revenue (Wolverine World Wide)-but you would never know it by what we read or didn’t read in the local papers. City budget used to be a series of stories because it is so important. It is even more important to us citizens now, in these fiscally strained times.
Last week, both local papers printed front-page stories on an award received for an addition to the City parks system (namely, the boardwalk). Lots of facts and figures regarding elevations, etc., but two important facts were left out: how much did it cost and who paid for it?
In recent months, a new staging area has popped up on the east side of the river by the dam. Lots of work was done there also, but if one word of that work or the money it cost or who paid for it was in either local paper, it was well hidden.
I dearly wish one of our local newspapers would cover this kind of hard news, especially reporting important information such as cost. If space is the real concern and you don’t want to omit the girls getting their hair cut, maybe you could cut the home improvement or other canned copy.
Tammy Bergstrom
Rockford resident
Facts, figures not reported
Dear Editor,
I am in full agreement with Neil Blakeslee’s letter a couple weeks back in which he chastised local media for not keeping citizenry properly informed. Sorry to do this, but I have to also add to the criticism. When are we residents going to see some news that is important to us as taxpayers?
The city recently passed a budget—which I bet involved some very interesting discussions, given the loss of a major source of revenue (Wolverine World Wide)—but you would never know it by what we read or didn’t read in the local papers. City budget used to be a series of stories because it is so important. It is even more important to us citizens now, in these fiscally strained times.
Last week, both local papers printed front-page stories on an award received for an addition to the city parks system (namely, the boardwalk). Lots of facts and figures regarding elevations, etc., but two important facts were left out: how much did it cost and who paid for it?
In recent months, a new staging area has popped up on the east side of the river by the dam. Lots of work was done there also, but if one word of that work or the money it cost or who paid for it was in either local paper, it was well hidden.
I dearly wish one of our local newspapers would cover this kind of hard news, especially reporting important information such as cost. If space is the real concern and you don’t want to omit the girls getting their hair cut, maybe you could cut the home improvement or other canned copy.
Tammy Bergstrom
Rockford resident
Troops to benefit from Rockford generosity
Dear Editor,
I just wanted to thank you again for putting the article in the paper. To date we have filled 1-1/2 semi trailers with items from all of our Support the Troop drives. We have extended the drive, as a couple of companies want us to come to the Kalamazoo area in the next couple of weeks. Then we will be transporting them to Houston, Texas, where they will be packaged and sent out from there. Thank you for your support for the Rockford drive.
David Menke/ATR
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