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After Writing Letter's To The Editor For More Than 40 Years I Got My First Rejection From The Commercial News. I Can Certainly Understand Their Concerns Of Libel If It Was Printed. When You Attack Someone's Character You Had Better Have Proof On Your Side. I Do Have The Proof But That Comes From Familiar Faces I Know Through The Summer Months. I Suppose The Salvation Army Documents Recipients, But Not Positive. I Normally Document Everything I Do. Somebody Told Me It May Seem Useless At The Time But Somewhere Down The Road It May Come In Handy. Wellll, I Suppose This Is One Of Those Times. I Decided From Now On Anything And Everything I Do Within The Summer Months All That I Do Will Be Documented. Sometime, Someday, I May Need That Information. I Could Write This Letter Later In The Year After I Have John Doe's Name And His Testimony. In The Meantime I Will Be Patient. I May Find Myself More Productive In Just Helping Those In Need And Leave The Politics To Others.
In The Meantime I Will Share My Letter With Those Who Read My Blog. If Someone Wants To Raise An Eyebrow And Challenge Me, All I Can Say Is Bring It On. This Is My Blog And I Will Control The Content Of It. It May Be The Commercial News Policy To Be Cautious In The Letters They Publish Because They May Question The Validity Of The Accuser. I Don't Need To Be Cautious Because I Have The Proof In The Pudding.
I Am A Strong Believer In Karma. Maybe That's All I Need In This Particular Situation. Here Is My Unpublished Letter.

Editor, Recently I have witnessed activity around the Oaklawn Inn Motel. Painting, pouring new concrete, beds inside and outside of rooms. I am very disturbed by this. My reason for feeling this way is based on firsthand knowledge of events that happened after closure of this motel this past July. 

For reasons of public safety, officials from the city of Danville gave residents staying there 24 hours to vacate. I had heard rumors from ordinary people on the streets the motel was full of drug dealers and prostitutes. This was not true. Even though there may have been drug dealers or prostitutes living on the premises it doesn't represent the total makeup of those who resided there.

My reason for this writing is not to crtitisize the city for protecting the safety of the residents. It's because of the events that followed the closure of the motel. The motel offered daily, weekly and monthly rates. The vast majority of these residents paid monthly rates. When these residents were told they had to leave by the 4th of July they had no place to go.

Being only 4 days into the month these residents asked for compensation for the remaining days of July. The owner of the motel refused all of them any compensation. He told them no refunds. I thank God this happened in a warm month of the year. My reason for saying this is because many of these residents had no place to go. Keep in mind July was one of the hottest July's on record for Illinois. However, it was tolerable compared to if it were January or February. Many of these people were forced to live in the woods for the three weeks remaining in July.

I was approached by a concerned individual searching for any kind of assistance for these people. After explaining to me what was happening and where a lot of these people were "camping out" I began compiling a list of different social services that may be able to assist them. A gentleman I spoke with told me he took in a Vietnam Veteran who relied on oxygen. He didn't have the resources to help but just the one. He was able to provide different locations as to where these people were living for the remainder of the month of July. I had found a few here and there and gave them some food that came from the Abundant Life Pentecostal Church Of God. On the back of my business card I listed other social service agencies that may be able to provide assistance to these people.

These residents lived from month to month. None of these individuals had the resources to contact an attorney and tell them what had happened to them. A terrible injustice was inflicted upon these individuals by the owner of the Oaklawn Inn. I had contacted the Salvation Army and spoke with Sharon Sawka who was very aware of the situation because some had come to her for assistance. I called WCIA because they had been reporting the fire of the annex of the motel. I wanted the television station to know the whole story. I gave them Sharon's number and I believe they done a follow up story on the displaced residents of this motel.

It's my opinion the owner of the Oaklawn Inn should be criminally charged by not refunding these individuals the money owed to them. He knew these residents could not afford an attorney to represent them against him. I feel he took advantage of the situation knowing he would not receive further income for his property while the motel was closed.

Today there are signs of improvements to this motel. I'm afraid if the property passes the inspection from the city the motel will again be open for business. I just wanted to bring awareness to the people of Danville how this business owner treats their patrons. He took advantage of their poverty knowing he would not be held accountable for it.

It saddens me to know we have a business person here in Danville that would do such an injustice on helpless individuals. 

Gregory Miller-Director

Robin Hood Foundation Of Danville