Don’t shoot the messenger

Lance Winkler, editor of The Oakwood Register, is doing a brave and responsible job to encourage discourse on issues that are important to Oakwood and other South Dayton communities.

People in Oakwood are concerned about the DMHA housing program that may impact their community. Being interested does not mean people are narrow-minded or that they are bigots.

The Dayton Daily News editorial smugly informed us that Kettering people were not interested in the DMHA issue at their city council meeting. “Kettering residents had no interest.” “They already were wised up” and consider this issue a “big nothing.” Let’s not confuse apathy with wisdom.

If the DMHA housing issue is such a “big nothing” than why does this issue dominate so much of the Aug. 31 Dayton Daily News Editorial section? Excerpted blogs about this non-issue are even included. Isn’t the information in blogs basically hearsay?
In recent weeks, City of Oakwood officials have objected to the manner in which the DMHA issue was presented. Lance Winkler has publicly apologized at the City of Oakwood Council Meeting for causing such a stir after The Oakwood Register was criticized for publishing what? Hearsay, you say?

The message at the council meeting made it clear that Mr. Winkler should have gotten the OK from government officials before going ahead with the story. Well, that is not the way democracy works. The first Amendment of the Constitution says that free speech is vital for a democratic system of government and free media is also essential to democracy.

It is reasonable for the people of Oakwood to question a public housing policy that may impact their community. They are exercising their right to free speech in questioning a government policy that “we the people” have created.

The newly-touted DMHA “Decentralization” system is designed to distribute low-income families throughout the metropolitan area rather than creating pockets of low-income housing. Since there are so many four family units in such a condensed area east of Shroyer Road there is a legitimate concern that over time this area could become concentrated with Section 8 housing and begin to exhibit the very problems this voucher program seeks to resolve.

Lance Winkler has brought to light an issue that needs study and consideration. The Oakwood Register newspaper provides a forum in which citizens of the community can exchange information, ideas and exercise their right of free speech. Please don’t shoot the messenger.

Dana Whitney
Kettering

Editor’s Note:  It should be noted that Dana (nee Winkler) Whitney is the sister of the editor.

Worry less about property – more about people

Perhaps it is my youth, or maybe my liberal views that have compelled me to write, but it seems that the issue regarding the public housing units is not about property value, but rather realizing the value of all people. Some people claim to know what one must accomplish in order to live in Oakwood. Living in a nice community does require money and hard work, but unfortunately the cycle of poverty prevents many hard working people from doing this. Living in a safe and nice community should not be a privilege only the wealthy can afford, but rather a right given to all people. Too many children live in homes where they cannot play outside, homes where they hear gunshots at night, homes where they do not feel safe. No child should feel unsafe in their own bed. It is a sad fact that in a country where there are so many privileged people, there is also the other extreme. One has to hope however, that those privileged people will have the compassion to help those less fortunate than them. It is true that besides the volunteering I have done, I have led a very sheltered life. I am thankful for my lifestyle, and would not trade it for anything. I am lucky however, to have been taught the basic principles of respecting the human dignity of everyone.

Helen Keller stated that “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” It appears that many of us are being challenged. Do not let our country, more specifically our community, become a place where the value of a house has more importance than the value of a person. Do not let our community become a place where hatred and bigotry are allowed to reside. To those of you reading this, I urge you to worry less about what might happen to the value of your homes, and more about what has, for decades, been happening to the value of people. When it comes down to it, all people deserve the right to feel safe in their own homes, and loved by their own neighbors.

Molly Shanks, age 18
Patterson Park

The truth of the matter

Let’s write a final chapter to this issue of public housing in Oakwood. And let’s set aside hysteria, name-calling, finger-pointing, etc. Granted, the issue of public housing was brought to the attention of our community by our paper. It was brought to the attention because we felt that our readers should know that public housing may become a part of our community. And that’s fine.  We will boast that Oakwood is probably among the most accepting of communities. The issue is not public housing, itself,  but uncontrolled public housing which could create a problem – only “could create.” Doesn’t looking at what could be make good sense? It allows for planning that prevents unwanted results – in this case unwise concentration, rather than wise distribution, of public housing, distribution that would provide the economically disadvantaged the same opportunities of education, safety and family life that we all, who are more fortunate, enjoy. Awareness should not create fear and hysteria. It should create positive policies that prevent those reactions.

As for Oakwood itself, its citizenry is among the most concentrated population of people concerned with fairness, friendliness, tolerance; a population of citizens who welcome diversity, reach out to the economically disadvantaged, take strong leadership raising thousands of dollars that benefit hundreds of organizations. Integrating the less fortunate upholds our belief in the dignity of every human being. The letters that paint us otherwise do not reflect actuality. Move to Oakwood. It’s as close to perfection as any community can get…and, has always been, we welcome all to experience it, …regardless of race, color, creed, and yes, the dollars in your pocket.

That’s the truth of the matter.

Dolores E. Wagner
Publisher
The Oakwood Register

Public housing a taxing issue

Lance Winkler has been criticized for informing the tax payer of situations the Mayor and public officials didn’t want us to know. First, let me say Lance Winkler is a fair, honest reporter. He published letters about himself which were both favorable and unfavorable. He didn’t have to do that. I think he has done a great public service by informing us about Section 8 and DMHA. Four units on Telford were purchased on 10-24-05 by DMHA, and we heard nothing of this purchase or the plans for the use of these apartments until we read about it in the Oakwood Register.

I watched the Oakwood City Council meeting Monday night and was appalled by the Mayor’s rudeness with some of the Oakwood residents who tried to present pertinet information at the meeting, especially Mrs. Wenner. Mrs. Wenner had gone to a lot of trouble to get statistics on the crimes at Parkside, but it was obvious that Mayor Cook didn’t want to hear it, nor did she want the residents from Oakwood or Kettering to hear what she had to say.

Regardless of what she or Mr. Johnson might say, “deconcentration” will only spread crime around the county, not eliminate it. If they really want to help the “poor people,” they should train them for jobs and have a time limit to find a job and remove them from public assistance. Public assistance should never be used as a way of life for anyone.

Mr. Johnson from DMHA said that he bought four units at $174,000 each, then spent another $200,000 each for renovation.

This totals $374,000 for each unit. The market value of these units is $150,000 each. He has $224,000 more in each unit than the market price. That is $896,000 of taxpayer’s money wasted. If he worked in the private sector, he would be fired immediately. Why should taxpayers continue to support this wreckless spending.

This is only the beginning of the cost to the taxpayers. The county is losing revenue because DMHA doesn’t pay real estate taxes, and the cities are losing revenue because of the loss of income tax. These losses are then passed on to the taxpayers. It’s time to draw the line. We can’t afford more taxes.

David Allison
Kettering

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September 11, 2007
Volume 16, No. 37

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