Editor, Gazette-Journal:

It becomes necessary to respond to an article written by Sherry Hamilton ("Supplemental tax bills to be sent out," Sept. 20 Gazette-Journal). This is more in the saga of the new Commissioner of the Revenue.

That office has run rather smoothly, as far as I know, for the last 30 years. Suddenly, he was left with an impossible mess. "The board of supervisors granted Hall’s request for a $3,500 supplement to pay the firm Wampler and Eanes to complete some of the more complicated assessments, and Hall went along to get some hands-on training." How does a reporter keep a straight face?

The Commissioner of the Revenue has routinely done these assessments in January and February as part of the job, and has for years. It seems it is probably not the former commissioner, the office staff, or even Bush’s fault. It is time for the training wheels to come off. It’s not too late to stop blaming and start learning the job.

I suggest Harry Truman’s motto, "The buck stops here." Here is some advice from an old guy. When you mess up, and we all do, admit it, fix it and move on.

Bill Crowe

Port Haywood, Va.