Closing Day-Care Program For Seniors Was a Mistake

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted unanimously to shut down the Manassas Senior Day Program on June 20 because of the "budget crisis." It cost the county roughly $150,000 a year. Four days later, the board approved $100,000 to study charging an ambulance fee. Something is very wrong with this picture.

The county argued last year that it wanted the program closed because it did not want to compete with Hearth & Home, a private care facility. Why? The county competes with private gyms, swimming pools, golf courses and schools. As one resident said, the county would not consider closing a public school if a private one opened nearby.

The Manassas Senior Day Program provided day care for impaired elderly people who would otherwise cost taxpayers big bucks in nursing homes or veterans facilities. It allows the family unit to remain intact for as long as possible. Programs such as this could be the answer to reducing government expenditures, which are skyrocketing as the population ages, while providing more personalized care.

Closing this program was an injustice to the frail seniors, who could not speak up for themselves; to their caregivers, who need respite and must work (and pay taxes); and to all residents, who could become incapacitated through no fault of their own and need daytime care if their family has daily obligations.

Prince William is also hiring private debt collectors to retrieve $8.5 million in delinquent property taxes. Will the county consider reopening the Manassas Senior Day Program if it retrieves some of this money? Or will it continue to support the notion that Hearth & Home should have no competition?

We need a network of citizens to advocate for the common good. If interested, please contact me at catherineannmarshall@hotmail.com.

Cathy Marshall

Manassas

More Than a Mistake, It Was Shameful

Hubert H. Humphrey, former senator and vice president, once said, "The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped." Based on recent actions and the decision to close a day-care center for the elderly, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors has failed this test miserably.

The reason given for the closure of the center in the western part of the county is budget constraints. In today's ravaged economy, every household knows and faces trade-offs in the family budget. However, with the county budget, one of the major causes of the shortfall is the ever-increasing cost of implementing the illegal-immigrant policy endorsed, pushed and championed by Supervisors John T. Stirrup Jr. and Corey A. Stewart. Because actions speak much louder than words, these two supervisors obviously care less about the elderly in the county than they do about tying themselves to a popular issue to gain support and remain in office. It is a sad day when county officials would rather spend limited county funds on the issue of illegal immigration than on those who fed, clothed and cared for many Prince William residents.

To echo my mother when she saw something morally wrong, shame on you, Supervisors Stirrup and Stewart.

Donald G. White

Gainesville