Marion is home to great baseball

To The Editor:

Assistant regional commissioner Fran Merrick, assistant Kansas commissioner David Branson, and I had the privilege, as Babe Ruth Baseball officials, of serving on the task force for the just completed Midwest Plains 12-year-old 70-foot regional tournament at Marion. The tournament featured the state champions from Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas along with the Missouri runner-up and the host Cottonwood Valley team, who were vying for a berth in the 2007 Babe Ruth World Series.

The Marion organization did an excellent job of conducting an exciting and fair tournament. Tournament director Russ Cain, Casey Case, Margo Yates, and countless others are to be commended for their outstanding job of putting on a top quality tournament. Not only was great baseball the spotlight during the tournament, but sportsmanship and team play was promoted throughout. It was evident that all who participated and attended the event had a good time, witnessed some excellent baseball, and left the Marion area with fond memories.

A special thanks to all the host families who hosted the players in their homes and gave these young men a chance to learn about and appreciate a wonderful community.

The city of Marion can be proud of many things, including their Babe Ruth baseball program. Countless hours of hard work and many volunteers are necessary to provide a quality youth baseball program. It is evident that your investments are paying great dividends.

Owen Kaufman (Kansas)
Secretary
Midwest Plains Region
Babe Ruth League, Inc.

Getting our money’s worth

To The Editor:

All the local issues being raised these days prompted me to write.

What do we expect? We’re to blame. We’ve given away that which is our responsibility, which is our right to self-governance and personal responsibility and the right to retain that which we work for.

We, the voters, approve all those great buildings. For what? Our pride, our self-worth? Do more educational facilities give us better husbands and wives? Better fathers and mothers? More stable homes? These are the very foundation of any society.

Does expanding facilities provide for our individual welfare? Does it expand the tax base and lower the mill levy? Does it make us a more prosperous community?

Do we expect government to be more efficient than we would be with our own money? Would they serve our interests or theirs?

Will a new and bigger jail result in better citizens, less crime, more security?

How many times has the city or county hired a new economic development director? Who gives them authority to hire that person and pay them a big wage? That money comes directly from the taxpayers. And for what? How about promoting economic development by letting us keep what we work for!

For all that we allow our leaders to do, do we ever ask ourselves what we are getting for our money? Aren’t we voting for more self-indulgence, bigger and less efficient government, more taxes, less prosperity? Does it make us more responsible?

The more we give away in personal responsibility, the less freedom and personal well being we will have.

Jerry Plett
Lincolnville