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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Pursuit on I-5 ends in officer-involved shooting in Siskiyou County ... Body of man found in Diamond Lake ... Drive-by shooting injures one, hits two houses on Columbus Avenue ... Pursuit on I-5 ends in officer-involved shooting in Siskiyou County ... Body of man found in Diamond Lake ... Drive-by shooting injures one, hits two houses on Columbus Avenue ... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, July 28 Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 28, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Jul. 28, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Thanks to OCF Medford has a true benefactor in the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) and its commitment to improving the lives of our residents. In addition to other recipients, St. Vincent de Paul is deeply indebted to OCF for its continued support for our programs. They recently awarded us $75,000 from the Reed and Carolee Walker Fund, $14,000 from the Ames-Fluhrer Fund and $10,000 from the Coleman Family Fund. All of this money will be used to assist needy clients with rent and utility payments. Our all-volunteer organization also offers hot meals six days a week, free groceries on the last two Fridays of the month, a 48-bed family shelter, showers and laundry services and school supplies in August. We appreciate the support we receive from OCF and many other generous organizations in this area. Thank you! Rich Hansen, St. Vincent volunteer Medford Judgment is falling There seems to be a deliberate, unending campaign to kill Christians and burn their churches in many nations around the world. Some of this hatred is happening here in our own country. The founders dedicated our nation to God and promised him that we would be faithful to him and his word (the Bible). Because of this, America became the most blessed nation on earth. By the 20th century it had become the richest, most secure, most revered and most powerful nation on earth. So why is there so much hatred in our nation? It was subtle at first, but in time it would grow more blatant. It began by removing God from our national life, our culture and the government. We eliminated the Ten Commandments from our schools and taught situation ethics, that truth is not an absolute. Our founders warned us that, if we turned our back on God, judgment would fall. Looking at current events, we see that judgment is falling on our nation. Gordon DeVos Medford Another expense Since the city of Medford and the Medford Water Commission decided to create two separate billing systems the following has happened: Many customers never pay their bills. $855,000 in unpaid debt. No way to cut off utility service for customers who don’t pay. Responsible customers end up paying for the deadbeats (as usual). And now the powers that be want to hire another entity that specializes in collecting unsecured debts — thus another cost/fee/expense to pass along to responsible customers! What was wrong with the old way — one less check to write each month and the ability to respond to payment evasion with a consequence (shutting off their water)?  It seems the prerequisite for working for the government/commissions and/or public agencies is to leave your brains at the door when coming to work or planning. However, they are certainly efficient in sticking it to the responsible customers, as evidenced by the speedy notice of rate increases included with the most recent bill. S. and J. Davey Medford Say no to big brother Some Oregon bureaucrats are trying to convince us that we need to change the way we tax drivers by tracking our every move. All this just to compensate for a small number of electric cars that currently get a free ride. The current system works quite well by taxing fuel at 30 cents per gallon. There is a near perfect correlation between vehicle gross weights, fuel used and wear on the roads. Thus the person who causes more wear on the road uses more fuel and pays more fuel taxes. What could be more fair? This works out to be about 3.5 cents per 100 miles per 100 lbs. Now just tax the electric cars this amount based on an annual mileage check and leave the other 99 percent of us alone. If they decide they need more money, just raise the tax rates. Skip Algeo Medford MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 28, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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