I'm writing you in regard to the negative comments that my place of worship, Solid Rock Church, has gotten about our 42-foot statue of Christ ("Contrived identity, bad taste run amok," "Your voice" column of Aug. 15).

It's funny that people aren't as down on the Freedom Center as they are on our statue of Christ. It shows how far we are from the real dream of our forefathers, which was to worship God in their own way. Don't people read our history? They came here for freedom in religion and at the time England was serving God; if I'm correct, not Allah or a fat-bellied statue. They served God!

Tonya Thompson
Lincoln Heights

Kudos to Reading school district

Congratulations to the Reading school district for reaching the "excellent" rating on the Ohio report card ("District savors top-tier rating," Aug. 27). Just three years ago with a rating of continuous improvement, the majority of the board of education made the bold decision to find new leadership. In two short years, Superintendent Scott Inskeep went to task and with his vision and direction the district can now say we are among the Ohio's elite. Thank you to those individuals who know we could do better, and who did what was necessary to get it done.

Linda Bemmes
Reading

We must control education spending

We have an obligation to educate our students. But school boards also have an obligation to the taxpayer to effectively use tax dollars. In Kings, the budget through last year grew 120 percent since 1994, while enrollment grew only 17 percent. Since 2001, my contribution to school taxes has gone up 19.8 percent, and a November levy will add an additional 17.7 percent retroactively to January. The school board then intends to place a bond issue on the ballot in the spring for facilities.

If it is just half of what was voted down last year, that will add another 8 percent or more than 45 percent in just four years. The state and federal government have pumped more and more money into the education system and still it isn't enough.

Education of our children is required, but the dollars available need to be effectively directed toward that objective.

Michael Sharbaugh
Loveland

No, New York not shortchanged

The satirical comments featured in the opinion pages of the Enquirer as written by syndicated columnist Lenore Skenazy ("Welcome to New York; where's our money?" Aug. 23) I am sure played well in Rudetown. Those of us in Hickvilles across the fruited plains should take note of the described welcome.

The point of Skenazy's writing seemed to be that the anointed populace in a big town have been shortchanged in some underexplained rationale. I kept looking for some recognition of the millions sent in sympathy for the victims of 9/11, but it must have fallen through the cracks. So those of you who have to go "start spreading the news," take along some big bucks. It's up to you. Don't you know?

Wayne Knepper
Mason

No comparing U.S., Soviet Union

Regarding the letter "Vile politics could threaten our nation" (Aug. 22): The writer's conclusion that the United States is in danger of breaking up is unfounded and unnecessarily alarmist. Political campaigns - at least at the presidential level - always have been divisive in nature and lacked in courtesy and objectivity. After the election things always simmer down and life goes on as usual.

Moreover, a comparison of his imaginary breakup of the United States with the long overdue breakup of the Soviet Union is based on false premises. The United States is one federal nation in which none of the states constitutes a historically ethnic (nationality) dominated political entity. The Soviet Union was not a voluntary union. Its constituent national republics were political entities only on paper; they were totally controlled by Moscow's central government. In fact, the Soviet Union was a continuation of the Russian Empire built by Russia's czars during at least six or seven centuries by military conquests and colonial exploitation. Thus, it is totally unacceptable and offensive to compare the United States with the Soviet Union in any manner whatsoever.

Z. Lew Melnyk
West Chester Township