An uncommonly interesting letters page.

There's an uncommonly interesting letters page at the News and Tribune site. In addition to the marquee "right traffic path" (below), there is the amusing spectacle of GOP chairman Dave Matthews getting very shrill in opposing anti-GOP shrillness, and another gripping subplot in which District 72 House challenger Sharon Grabowski is endorsed at the expense of incumbent Ed Clere ("In fact, it would appear that Clere has little regard for the public schools in general"), prompting whichever Clere Channel media monitoring operative whose beeper happened to go off to parachute to Clere's rescue by misspelling Grabowski's name and tittering, rather like Steve Price used to do.

Turns out Grandpa Jones was right, and truth really is stranger than fact.

News and Tribune letters: Sept. 19, 2012

newsroom@newsandtribune.com

SOUTHERN INDIANA — Reader: Gahan on the right path

I am writing in response to Randy Smith’s letter published Sept. 12 in the News and Tribune.

I very much agree with his position about traffic calming in New Albany and the need for something to change before the Sherman Minton Bridge becomes the only nontolled interstate bridge in the area. I also agree that more two-way streets might be a better alternative to our current maze of one-ways that seems to only take residents and visitors away from our historic downtown.

Where I disagree is Mr. Smith’s comments about our mayor, Jeff Gahan ...

And the Bookseller answers:

Mr. Bonsall, my disappointment in Mr. Gahan continues based first on his 8 years on the city council, where he, among others, opposed the common-sense reversion of our downtown streets to 2-way traffic. Mr. Gahan knows precisely the 3 issues where we disagreed that prevented him from accepting my offer of support in 2011.

Unfortunately, nothing has changed in the 8 months he has been mayor. All 3 of those issues of contention remain between us and you can add his inaction on traffic-calming to that. It is not mud-slinging to point out that issues that need to be addressed. Mr. Gahan earned the bully pulpit and the executive pen fairly. Now I'd like to see him do the right thing. That is all.