Letters
Letters to the editor
Highlands Today
Published: March 3, 2013
Dress codesPublished: March 3, 2013
Regarding Marie McIntyre's article on proper office attire, I would add that both employee and employer must share the blame on what is being worn on the job.
During my employment with the Kent County Department of Human Services in Michigan, the state administrators, along with agency directors, attempted to develop a dress code for employees in all 86 counties. Their mission was to prevent cleavage-revealing attire, stretch pants, flip-flops, belly bearing blouses, skirts just below the water line, along with other ridiculous clothing, while providing a properly attired professional employee.
For their effort they were repeatedly met with resistance and threats from the employees and the union representing them. Some arguments claimed it did not allow for individual freedom of expression or it would create an undue financial hardship by requiring employees to purchase separate clothing for work, while others thought that by dressing appropriately it would demean, belittle and embarrass the client during the interview process.
After four years of discussion, numerous meetings and many thoughtful suggestions, all were vetoed by the employees along with management acquiescing and upon my retirement, just like today's Democrats in Congress, there was no willingness or agreement between the two entities. The sad fact was that on most days you could not tell the difference between many of the caseworkers or the client.
Jerry Wright
Avon Park
Dogs dumped
I hope this reaches the female who dumped the adult dog and three 2-month old puppies on West Avenue just off Sebring Parkway on Tuesday, Feb. 26.
There are other alternatives like the Humane Society and animal control. You ought to know that there are witnesses who described you and your car.
Thankfully, my daughter and the wonderful ladies at Flippin' Out Salon caught them before they were run over. They are now in a rescue group and being cared for at my home along with other rescues. They will all go to good homes.
These poor dogs were terrified and in bad shape. They obviously had never been in a house before, but after bathing, worming, flea treatment and food they feel so much better.
I can't believe you couldn't find homes for Shih Tzu/poodle mix puppies. How many did you sell before you decided they were too much trouble?
Everybody else, please get your dogs spayed and neutered. The Humane Society has a wonderful low-cost program for this and vaccinations every Tuesday.
There is also a vet, Dr. Gissendanner, who has reasonable prices for those who don't make a lot of money, as well as those who do. There are just too many homeless animals out there.
Take a tour of animal control or the Humane Society before you decide to breed your dog.
These little guys are actually going to have a good life from here on out, but I feel sorry for any animals you still have.
Suzanne Williams
Sebring
True column
If you didn't get to read Joyce Minor's column Feb. 24 on page 2 of Highlands Today titled, "Let them live like the rest of us," please try to find a copy of such paper and read it cause truer words were never wrote before.
Anna Steffen
Sebring
School breakfasts
In Highlands Today (Feb. 27, Our View) they advocated that school districts should continue taking responsibility to feed "free" breakfast and lunch to students while relieving parents of this obligation.
Using the statistics provided by Highlands Today, these same low-income children's parents are probably receiving some form of monthly food stamp assistance (EBT cards) for their children as well as themselves, and if this is the case, I ask why aren't benefits reduced or subtracted from the monthly allowance of these families, since each child is receiving at least 10 "free" meals a week in school?
This nanny state program is funded by "federal money that pours into Florida." This money, however, is probably borrowed from China, so eventually these once "hungry students" but now fully nourished children with passing grades due to the government provided nourishment, will eventually graduate from high school, secure a job and happily repay this debt the previous busy body government so thoughtfully incurred on their behalf many years earlier.
Jerry Wright
Avon Park