To the editor:

Mark Kaplan in a letter to the editor questioned why the sidewalks are not kept in the same repair as the streets. Hmmm? They are, Mr. Kaplan, both are in disrepair.

Maybe Kaplan should have considered that the 3 percent loan money and other federal money for neighborhoods might have been used for infrastructure like sidewalks instead of personal projects.

Perhaps the Journal-World could revisit the spending of Community Development Block Grand money. Oh, not long ago the Oread group squandered $54,000 for a set of 18 steps. Hmmm? Maybe $10,000 would have replaced the steps in question and the $44,000 would have poured hundreds of feet of sidewalks. And maybe even a walk to the steps!

Take a “walk on the wild side”? Take a walk down any alley east of Iowa street and you will soon wonder why many families don’t want to live in the central city, Mr. Blank. Bob Blank and I have discussed this rental/landlord tax issue privately and Mr. Blank is still blank about the reason for high taxes.

Here is a hint: The school district consumes 50 percent of the local property taxes. Not clear? How about this: Mr. Weseman makes over $100,000 a year. Suppose your property taxes are around $2,000 a year and the district gets one half of it. That is $1,000 per house, which translates to 100 homes paying $2,000 in taxes just to pay one administrator. Even I flunked math several times, but I am not blank on this one.

David Holroyd,

Lawrence