Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

I just received a telephone call regarding Concerned Voter's response to my Thanks for Your Support message. I appreciate the Concerned Voter's compliment that he or she had great respect for John Maurer and myself for our unselfish dedication and commitment to our outstanding school district.

My thoughts and prayers are for Dr. Rigelman upon learning a few days ago he was diagnosed last fall with a probable skull-based meningioma. According to a medical doctor, his raging anger against the schools last fall was probably related to his medical condition. Uncontrollable anger is one of the first reactions of people when they receive this type of news. If we had known of his medical condition, all of us would have been far more compassionate and understanding. We just didn?’t know.

The Concerned Voter asked what kind of retaliation school supporters fear. Gail Oakes said most people she talked to fear retaliation if they speak out (her discussion on 1/21). Death threats via the telephone, intimidation by masked men in pick up trucks, and the destruction of personal property have all been documented by the Fairfield County Sheriff and information given to the Violet Township Trustees and City of Pickerington officials by school advocates. With all due respect to Concerned Voter?’s opinion, I don?’t view receiving a death threat via the telephone ?‘a childish they?’re picking on me posture.?’

I really don?’t believe that you?’ll have spirited debate on PATA website between fictional people. I wonder what the Declaration of Independence would look like if our founders who really did face serious retaliation had signed it Soap Box Hero or Concerned Voter.

I'm glad you care about Bruce?

Mark,



I welcome your unique perspective to this site and I am glad that you sign your name to your work...then everyone can know where you stand and you can take full ownership of your opinions, like it or not. I wish the original poster of the deleted discussion item would have signed her name and then you would have even more of a spirited debate about ethics and getting along with others! Do as I say... not as I do.

My question for you is...if you really care about Bruce Rigelman's condition and claim your actions would have been different publically in the past had you known about it...why do you continue to post hurtful items about him here concerning his health. Why don't you leave it alone?

I think it is fair for you to disagree with his positions on issues, but this other tactic is really hurtful and sad. I feel frustrated that I need to point this out to you when you repeated claim to be a compassionate person in your discourse here.

Think about it and return to meaningful discussion about items to improve our community.

Lisa Ross

Lisa, Practice What You Preach

Lisa,

I do care about Dr. Rigelman and have left him alone since I found out that his brain tumor may be the source of his recent uncontrollable anger towards our school district. I have compassion.

It is you who is constantly bring up Dr. Rigelman in defending your position to censor the item about his health. If you really wanted to ask me a question about if I care about him, why didn't you e-mail me privately instead of posting your remarks on the public PATA website? Do you have any compassion for Dr. Rigelman? Think about it, Lisa.

I also have compassion for the suffering Mayor Hughes has recently gone through with the death of his wife following a courageous battle with cancer. I still can ?‘feel?’ the pain she endured the day she was unable to reach help for a prescription to ease her unbearable pain. My 16 year-old son, Jeff, read the comments about Mayor Hughes on your website and could not believe that any human being would be so vicious in their attacks towards ?‘such a wonderful and kind person?’. I hope other high school students don?’t find your website.

At our family dinner last evening at Bob Evans, we did discuss how little respect and little compassion PATA members have for our elected officials in our community. Lisa, do you have compassion for Mayor Hughes and have you left him alone since learning about his suffering?

Think about it. Maybe practice a little more compassion instead of preaching it!

Mark W. Uher

Go figure on the mayor

I'm sure Mayor Hughes is a kind and wonderful person. I have also witnessed him call me and other citizens ''stupid and misinformed.''

I have compassion about his suffering. But he has chosen to continue to wear the mantle of the city as it's mayor and represent the city views. I take particular issue with some of the actions of the city, not all. I will express my opinion on these issues and in his elected position which he has chosen not to reliquish while bearing his burden, he surely knows what being the spokesman entails and has a choice.

I admire his efforts to inform city voters through his letters and editorials and I believe he is trying to make the best effort at being the mayor that he possibly can. I do not always agree with his views and the contents of his efforts, but I recognize that he is trying. I also think he may appreciate opposing views, and that he does learn something from them as I have seen actions become changed in light of public scrutiny. I sign my name to my postings and am no ''soap box hero'' as I do not live in the city.

Lisa Ross