Several things are on my mind this week…

The news about the condition of the Roderick Ireland Courthouse in Springfield and the stated proposal of spending $170 million to retrofit it is distressing to say the least.

The idea the commonwealth would spend that kind of money when a new courthouse could be built for an estimated $200 million to $250 million is truly counterproductive.

The plan brought forth by Peter Picknelly and Mayor Domenic Sarno is forward thinking, which we need more of these days.

My question, though, is who among the three gubernatorial candidates would support the construction of a new courthouse. I sent that question to the two Republicans and the one Democrat who are on the ballot.

I’ll let you know how they answer the question, since campaigning in Western Massachusetts has not been on the top of their collective agenda. In fact, I’m curious whether or not it is actually on their agenda.

In the meantime, the more time the commonwealth takes to answer the question the worse the situation will be for those of you who do business in the courthouse.

I guarantee you if there was a courthouse in Boston with these long documented issues, they would have been resolved years ago.

Hey, I get mail

I’m always happy to print the letters people write to the newspaper even if they follow their established formula that I’m an idiot or a Commie or a Commie idiot.

There is even a reader who calls me “Red Dobbs.” (I know where you drink. Perhaps I’ll show up and buy you a beer.)

I developed my thick skin when I was on talk radio from 1982 to 1987 and was the station’s liberal. I received some very inventive hate mail in the pre-Internet era.

It’s all part of my job for the last 20-plus years to publish varying viewpoints. This is still America and free speech is still a thing.

I did receive a very short letter from a reader in Gilbertville, one of our newest communities. It read, “Mr. Dobbs claims that gay marriage has made the USA a better place. How has it made the USA better? In reality it’s another indicator of the moral decline in the USA.”

You see, I’ve never understood that viewpoint. Shouldn’t the rights enjoyed by one group of people in this country be available for all?

Isn’t the conservative viewpoint – at least the one I’ve heard since childhood – is that government should stay out of a person’s private life?

Being gay is not a crime. Having the means by which two people who love each other can enjoy the legal state of marriage should be something extended to all.

We are speaking of two people who legally want to commit to one another. Two consenting adults making a decision to be together should be an event that is celebrated not criticized.

You want to talk about a decline in morality? How about electing a soulless grifter as president? A man who has no scruples and takes no personal responsibility for his actions? A failed businessman whose reputation was reformed by his hit reality TV show?

Talk about lack of morality, how about the mega-church clergy who are multi-millionaires? Isn’t that at least a little hypocritical? How about the blatant racists who brazenly march in the streets? Isn’t that moral decline? Two consenting adults deciding to get married is not by any possible definition “immoral.”

Still, I welcome your letters even when their logic is perplexing to me. Mail them to news@thereminder.com. Keep them to 500 words and no libel allowed.