Lombardi’s TOPS plan hurts parents more than he thinksMy son is a high school senior who has been accepted into LSU for the 2010 fall semester. I am very upset about Mr. Lombardi’s proposal to eliminate the TOPS scholarship for households earning over $100,000 per year.  My husband and I earn slightly over 100k. In today’s world, our salaries do not afford us a lavish lifestyle. We struggle to pay Catholic school tuition for three children, often giving up things like vacations in order to do so.  We do not drive expensive cars. We pay taxes and tuition because we do not feel the public schools in Louisiana — specifically Jefferson Parish — can provide our children with a top-notch education.  My salary means more revenue for the state of Louisiana because I pay taxes. Since Hurricane Katrina, my homeowner’s insurance and property taxes have increased to the point that my mortgage has gone up nearly 30 percent. Now, Mr. Lombardi wants to eliminate the TOPS scholarship my son has earned with many hours of hard work. No wonder so many people leave Louisiana! I was finally going to get a little relief, a little help, and he wants to take it away. My family needs TOPS, and after all these years of paying taxes into a school system that ranks as one of the worst in the nation, we deserve it.Shelly VollenweiderRiver Ridge residentReligion, politics column inaccurate, inappropriateStephen Schmitz’s article in Monday’s paper, “Pastors and politicians are like oil and water — they don’t mix,” is an egregious example of anti-Catholic bigotry. His angry tone, inaccurate understanding of the facts and reliance on rhetoric suggest bitterness. These also make for an unpersuasive position. If the negative tone, inaccuracies and empty rhetoric were dropped, perhaps there would be an opportunity for a productive debate. To help him better understand what he unnecessarily attacks, I offer a few corrections to his statements.First, there is no “U.S. Catholic Church.” There is only the one, actual Catholic Church. Second, the Eucharist is not a “Catholic rite.” It is a sacrament. Roman and Byzantine are examples of “rites.”  The difference is important, as a sacrament is a visible sign of an invisible grace, instituted for our justification. A rite is a differentiation of churches according to liturgy.Third, and most importantly, in Catholicism the Sacrament of the Eucharist is the acceptance of “bread and wine” as the actual “Body and Blood” of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Consumption of the Host by someone unworthy, such as one who supports abortion, is an act of blasphemy. This is why the now-Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, Archbishop Raymond Burke, was required to block Sen. Kerry’s reception of the Eucharist in his See. The Archbishop did not take action to score any political point; he was following Catholic doctrine. Neither was he denying Sen. Kerry the opportunity to be a part of the Church. Sen. Kerry is free to open his heart and mind to the truth and salvation of our Lord whenever he is ready to do so. The Church will accept him with open arms.If Mr. Schmitz wants to better understand the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the resources to do so are readily available. The Catechism and the documents of the Council of Trent might be a good place to start. Perhaps, if he actually learns something about them, he may also learn to appreciate them. Nicholas Matayahistory junior—-Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at [email protected]