To the editor:

The Journal-World reported that Paula Gilcrest said that many appraisals would go down due to the poor sales on houses, but that’s not true. Real estate taxes went up in our area. Our appraisal went up by $5,000, and our neighbor’s appraisal went up by $6,000, and therefore our taxes went up accordingly, not down. We didn’t add anything to our house, and there weren’t sales to warrant that increase.

Spend money on $15 million gyms for west Lawrence and a $19 million library while some are being taxed out of their homes and schools are closing. The federal government finally gives seniors their COLAs but then charges them more of Medicare, so now I’m getting less this year than last. All government spending is out of control, at the federal and local levels. Foreclosures do not produce more taxes, but mob rule.