Letter to the Editor

To the Editor,

In the 29 Oct. 2020 Sundance Times letter to the editor from Mac Frank there were indications that he was somewhat misinformed. Now we are fortunate that our paper encourages us to voice our opinions as would be expected in a county espousing free speech.

His opposition to the mill levy does not coincide with the election results. The mill levy passed significantly and this in an anti-tax conservative county. I would ask him to re-think some of his opinions.

Now I am from California and moved to Crook County because of taxes. I submitted my opinions about the mill levy in a letter to the editor in response to the Times article on the mill levy.

You must consider the facts. The mill levy is not giving money to local governments. There are no paid local government persons involved in the distribution of these funds.

There is an elected board to distribute these funds. The board is unpaid. They also audit the use of these funds. Some persons such as cooks, drivers and cleaners are compensated for their service to our seniors.

In Crook County senior citizens do not constitute a small subset of our population. The mill levy was adopted by the voters because the anti-taxers caused the state and federal entities to substantially reduce funding for senior meals, transportation (medical) and other services designed to allow poverty-stricken seniors to live at home rather than have them become completely dependent on tax supported assisted living and long care facilities.

It is less expensive to utilize the mill levy to keep our needy seniors at home. Many of our seniors find themselves in poverty because of conditions beyond their control. “But I am poor and needy yet the Lord thinketh upon me: Thou art my help and deliverer” Psalms 40:17

M. Ross Feeney