Letters to the editor: February 26

We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on issues of interest to East Valley residents. Submissions should be no longer than 300 words, factually accurate and original thoughts of the writer. Please be brief and include name, address, city and phone number for verification. Letters and call-in comments may be edited for clarity and length.

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Door hangers — A safety hazard
Concerning the Feb. 7 Tribune story by Beth Lucas about the Gilbert Town Council’s discussion on banning unsolicited fliers:
I fully support a complete ban on unsolicited fliers and door hangers that are left on my front door or property.
When I go on vacation, I stop delivery of my newspaper and have the post office hold my mail until my return. I leave a couple of lights on in my home with timers to turn them on and off to give the impression that someone is in the house. These are all activities recommended by the police department and crime-prevention personnel to reduce neighborhood crime.
These unsolicited fliers cannot be stopped, and they clearly indicate to every burglar in Gilbert that I am not at home. It is an imposition on my friends or neighbors to request them to police my property and clean up the junk left by advertisers. This ordinance should not require the posting of any sign on my property. These signs are unsightly when posted through the neighborhoods and give indication that I might not want my neighbors to call on me.
I do not believe such a ban would hurt local businesses, churches, and so on. They have many other ways to get my attention. They can send their advertising in the U.S. mail or in the local newspaper. Advertising using bulk mail is very inexpensive for the coverage you receive.
To me such a ban is a “no-brainer” and the Town Council should take the lead to help residents fight crime by passing an ordinance to ban unsolicited fliers or any advertising on resident’s property. The only exception to posting anything on my property should be for legal notices that may be required by a court of law or notices of the intent to turn off necessary utilities due to nonpayment of fees due.
William R. Smith
Gilbert

Liberals — Hardly in lockstep
Wow! Richard Ward (Letters, Feb. 7) sure has a strange outlook on liberals.
As a proud liberal who never has any trouble finding another liberal to disagree with, I hardly feel like a fascist. From my liberal perspective, I see the right-wing, ultra-conservative evangelicals as the people who are threatening our freedoms. Although Ward seemed to be hung up on global warming, the conservative right is in lockstep on abortion, stem-cell research, homosexuality, evolution and even the Big Bang.
If we are going to have progress in this country, and around the world, we need liberals. Discussion and debate can make this a better world.
We do need to insist on honesty and integrity in all our leaders. Those who are caught lying need to be fired or sent to jail.
Larry J. Kluth
Mesa

Student loans — Impact of changes limited
Your Feb. 10 article, “Low diploma rates hurt UA, ASU loans,” described some of the changes that Sallie Mae is making to its private student loan programs, but reached incorrect conclusions with regard to our programs at Arizona State University and the University of Arizona.  
We recently discontinued certain non-standard private loan programs, which represented only 3 percent of our $164 billion total student loan portfolio. This decision was made after realizing that a disproportionate number of these loans were made to students who left school early or dropped below half-time enrollment, and then defaulted on their loans.  
What does this change mean for ASU and UA?  Less than 10 ASU students (and no UA students) borrowed through our non-standard private loan programs, and their loans remain in place. Should they need to borrow again, they may apply for Sallie Mae’s standard private loan programs, and if they do not qualify on their own, they may qualify with a cosigner.  
Sallie Mae is proud to be the nation’s leading saving- and paying-for-college company and to help millions of students pay for college each year. That said, we cannot continue to serve our 10 million existing customers or help new student borrowers if we make loans that are predictably uncollectible. Nor do we want to make loans to students who do not graduate and who are left with unmanageable debt, and who do not have the benefit of increased earnings that would have resulted if they had received a degree.
Martha Holler
Vice President, Sallie Mae
Reston, Va.