Letters policy: Send by e-mail to letters@gainesvilletimes.com (no attached files, please, which can contain viruses); fax to 770-532-0457; mail to The Times, P.O. Box 838, Gainesville, GA 30503; or click here for a form. Include full name, hometown and phone number for confirmation. They should be limited to one topic on issues of public interest and may be edited for content and length (limit of 500 words). Letters originating from other sources, those involving personal, business or legal disputes, poetry, expressions of faith or memorial tributes may be rejected. You may be limited to one letter per month, two on a single topic. Submitted items may be published in print, electronic or other forms. Letters, columns and cartoons express the opinions of the authors and not of The Times editorial board.
I was shocked and astonished at Mike Allen's views in The Times on Oct. 21. I really think he needs to be reminded that the loaning business has kept him working and able to take home regular income. If it were not for those people, he might not be able to degrade his customers and find himself in the number of low grades he speaks of so freely.
The banks have made choices more often than not to make loans on real estate and automobiles that are over their values. I don't think Mr. Allen is an exception. I fail to see why he found it necessary to offer his opinion in the local paper in such a manner.
Many of my friends find themselves out of work, having taken loans with good intentions of repaying. Later, the found out that no jobs were secure. Indeed, finding jobs was and remains difficult. These are the people whom Mr. Allen finds so disgusting.
However, I have some knowledge of banking myself. Mr. Allen signed those loans right along with the customers whom he his questioning. Didn't he believe they would be able to repay at that time, just as those customers believed?
Since he has made his choice, I am going to make one also: I will never give Mike Allen the honor of signing one of my notes, nor will I be in his bank to do any other business, for fear that he would find a reason to smear me. Maybe other people will join me in this opinion.
Betty Brown
Gainesville