[Vision2020] Letters of Opinions

[Tom Ivie]

There is an elderly couple that lives across the
street from me.  I check up on them every couple of
days to make sure they are doing ok.  That is what
neighbors do and I hope someone checks up on me
someday.  

Apparently, one of them wrote a letter to the Daily
News against Walter Steed and in favor of Aaron Ament.
 As far as I remember, these letters are opinions. As
they are senior citizens and use the 1912 building,
naturally they are concerned about it being sold and
the prospect of losing any programs for seniors.  I
guess she wrote that Steed would like to sell the 1912
building.  Regardless, what she had to say in the
letter was her opinion.  Steed's campaign manager, the
Daily News, and Steed all called her about the letter.
 Why would Steed stoop so low that he has to call an
elderly woman to tell her "she is wrong" in her
opinions? 

After talking with her about this.  I found that she
is worried that if the 1912 building is sold, the
seniors will have to move out at some point because
the space could be rented to a group willing to pay
more for the space.  True or not, that has yet to be
seen, but it is still her concern that there is no
provision that will protect senior programs if the
building is sold.  In the case that the building is
leased out instead of sold, after five years there is
no provision that senior programs will be safe.  

What she didn't mention in the letter is that they
have put their house up for sale.  They live at the
creek on Third Street where the automobile bridge that
Steed supports will be built if that proposal passes
through City Council.  So I may lose one or several of
my neighbors over this.  Several others have talked
about the same thing.  Although many cannot afford to
just sell their houses and move.  What will they move
into?  There is a reason that houses are selling for
$160,000, there aren't many for sale in that "low"
price range that Steed refers to as "affordable"
housing.  These people can't bump up to a $200,000
house.  

All the people that live in the houses surrounding the
creek are elderly and on fixed incomes. Two of them
are widows.  Miss Hoffman just turned 80 last month. 
If the bridge goes through, she won't even be able to
get out of her driveway.  These are the things that I
wish my neighbor would have brought up in her letter. 
That is MY OPINION.

Tom Ivie



	
		
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