Regarding the treatment of Letty Milstein (Steve Jackson's "Mommy Dearest," May 22), it seems to me that the problem is not sibling rivalry, or the courts, or the judge, or the guardians, or the lawyers, but rather that this woman did not die before the sharks got to her. As far as the claim that her daughter took all of her jewelry, if someone (family or not) took something of mine, I would consider pressing charges. Theft is theft, even when wrapped in sanctimonious feel-good that it is the right thing to do.
I hope your story will help others who are considering the possibility of being stripped of some or all of their right to self-determination to make it as legally difficult for this to be done to them while they are still capable of making such preparations. Even those with diminished mental capability should be allowed to remain in their own homes and participate in the activities they enjoy if they have the financial resources to provide for their own care and safety. As far as the accuracy of the story goes, if only half of it is true, that's still too much.
Letty's daughter and son-in-law had better be looking over their shoulders: It may happen that they could be in Letty's shoes someday and have others decide they are not suited to choose who/what/where for themselves.
Mark W. Milburn
Denver
I am keeping Steve Jackson's unbelievably boring article on the Wolf family problems for transitional sleep nights. Talk about much ado about nothing. If Steve had wanted family drama, I could have given him a much juicier tale. But, alas, he did not call.
I can only surmise that Mr. Jackson went after Judi Wolf for one or several of the following reasons:
1. She has more money than Steve.
2. She has a happier marriage than Steve.
3. She is in the paper more than Steve.
4. She donates more money and time to the community than Steve.
5. She has a more fun wardrobe than Steve.
I hope Westword wins some award for this most tasteless and pointless expose about one of our more prominent and refreshingly flamboyant citizens. Nice going.
Christy S. Sebastian, executive director
Foundation for the Denver Performing Arts
Complex
Thank you, Westword, for your article on Judi Wolf. As an avid theatregoer, I have had the misfortune of seeing this attention-starved old fright at many opening nights, and it always turns my stomach. The whole Milstein family sounds incredibly dysfunctional to me and may explain why this offensive woman is like she is. To quote a good friend, "Judi Wolf's hair has been fried more than Ted Bundy."
Stephen Maestas
Denver
I'm still trying to decide what point Steve Jackson was trying to make when he wrote his inappropriate, gossipy article about a Denver family struggling with the care of its aging mother. Many families have a very painful time with decisions regarding the best approach to elder care...so why single out this one family?
Now that Jackson has exposed the personal lives of the family, I strongly suggest he spend some time analyzing his motives for intruding into the private matters of these particular people. Your publication would better serve society by discussing why families abandon their aging parents...and not publicly torment the families who argue about quality care for their loved ones!
Barbara Griss
Denver
Law and Odor
Scott C. Yates's "A Rocky Road," in the May 29 issue, rings true. The likelihood of the federal government's leadership treating competent public servants like Holien and Detterline poorly is high. To borrow a line from an old Beatles song: "What's right is only half of what's wrong." Rule number one for playing the federal government game: May the best fart-smeller win.
Mike Cyrocki
Lakewood
Be Fruitcakes and Multiply
Are you now attending, or have you ever attended Faith Bible Chapel? Have you ever, after attending a service at FBC, gotten involved in the political process by doing one or all of the following: giving money to a candidate, volunteering for a candidate or, worse yet, voting for a candidate who shared your values?
I thought McCarthyism was over. So this witchhunt that Ward Harkavy's been on is rather amusing. I saw his article "God's Own Party" when it was first published in the May 1 issue, but I wanted to see the response it got before I responded. As Pat Miller's former campaign manager, I gotta tell you, Ward, you are nuttier than a fruitcake.
How do I know that? George Pramenko agrees with you (Letters, May 8). And everybody knows he is a nut.
Oh, I get it--you and George must be working together, is that it? It has to be true, doesn't it? Look, you guys at Westword have what, the fifteenth-most read newspaper in the Denver area, and George is a real mover and shaker in his own mind, so you guys must be working together.
I've got to tell you, though, I wish FBC had the influence you say it does. Sure, Morrison and Miller spoke on the phone on occasion. In fact, one conversation was actually an angry one: Miller couldn't understand why FBC would schedule a dress rehearsal for a play on the night of the April 2 caucuses and called to complain! If Morrison is that connected politically, why didn't he bother to look at a calendar?
FBC had very little to do with our campaign in 1996. We had some volunteers who also attended the church, and we got some money from members of the church, but I don't believe we received a dime from any pastor at the church.
You people need to get a life. And stop being so hateful and spiteful!
I would like to write more, but I am going to church and see if my friends and I can come up with a plan to take over D.C., where I am living now. See ya.
Mike Mears
via the Internet
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