Reader agrees with editorial, letter

Dear editor:

I liked your editorial in April 30 paper. I also liked your notebook article about 20 second sound bites. I was glad to hear that you as a reporter get all the news and help us understand more than our 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. news give us. I always watch the news on TV but as you say, it does not give us the whole story as it has only a limited time. They often say on TV if you want more go to some dot com. They expect everybody has a computer, which I don't. They used to give a 900 phone number. It cost money to call it but now they don't give you that option.

On the letter by Janice Eddy entitled "Prisoners should work off fines," I certainly agree with her. I said that prisoners should work while in jail to earn their keep in a previous letter to the editor. I did not know it costs the taxpayers $25 a day to support an inmate. I did not know any inmate paid for their keep. I thought the taxpayers paid for all, rich or poor. If they are rich they can pay a large fine to avoid jail I think but I don't know.

I think it would be good if all inmates, rich or poor, had to work and earn their keep. Maybe if they have to work hard they would obey the law and not have to go back to jail. I think work can help make a person think twice before he commits a crime.

I wish all people would obey the law because it is the right thing to do. But if they don't have a conscience maybe fear of work would do it. I think community service would be a great idea. Even the violent ones could work behind enclosures for the public safety. I've heard of prisons that have factories on site. We need that all over the world.

Barbara J. Larson