Dear Editor:
 
As per the cover article in The Saginaw News on December 10th  (Fed: Housing leaders owe $573,324) I would like to share these thoughts.

People like Fred Ford and Al Holiday not only fuel society's attitude of low income people and the welfare system, but have as little regard as possible for the recipients' health and safety. As leaders of the Housing Commission, they are supposed to look after us.

As an example, I moved into one of the five-senior/disabled hi-rises, Rosien Towers in 1991.  At that time, there were constant problems with the elevators, the heating and fire alarm systems, as well as lazy staff members. 

"Is this what it's like to get old?" I wondered.  I applied to and moved into Lakeside Village in 1998 because of the heating/air system there, plus I felt that I would be better off.  Wrong again.  At that complex, there were no visible sprinkler systems anywhere in the building, residents were constantly burning things up in their kitchens, and even there a poor fire alarm system existed, plus the fact that the entire building was drywall.

I applied to return to Rosien Towers and moved back in 2001 - back to no heat or fire safety.

Just prior to Troy White making his disappearance from the housing commission, at a meeting at Rosien Towers, I asked him if he'd ever lived in a cold building where safety was a low priority.  I will never forget the look on his face.  He referred me to the Maintenance Supervisor, who was also at this meeting.

I asked him when these problems would be taken care of and he responded with a smirk, "When I get the parts ordered." 

Those words really tripped my trigger! 

Nothing makes me angrier than words such as these, when parts should have been ordered years earlier!

Alarm. I called the State Fire Marshall and emailed HUD about the Housing Commission's poor management. 

I would be sent HUD surveys and I'd retype the questions in bold black ink. When I took them to the post office, I'd ask how much these surveys would cost me if I had to pay the postage.  I was told that they'd cost me close to three dollars.

I also shared copies of these HUD surveys with you, Mr. Martin, and strangely enough, not much later, we began to make progress with improving our living conditions.

I am a retired school bus driver, so naturally I'm concerned about health and safety.  I was also raised to respect my elders and to abide by the Golden Rule.

Sherry Tucker
Saginaw

PS: On Jan. 8, 2007, I will become Rosien Tower's Association President and have attended nearly every board and quarterly meeting since I moved back from Lakeside Village and still have every note I took at these meetings.