Letters to the editor - Thursday (8-27-09)

Let's support children who do good things

Our son is a part of the Police Explorers of the Salisbury Police Department. Last Saturday, they had a recycling day and passed out 400 flyers the Monday before only to have about five people show up to support them.

We don't understand why, when our children are trying to do something good, we don't support it or tell them. But when they do bad, we are quick to judge and point fingers. We want to say to those Explorers, we are very, very proud of you for standing out in the rain and sun for six hours and walking around town to collect things. You are doing a great job and are to be applauded for it.

Thank you for wanting to make Salisbury a cleaner city. We will support you in all you do!

— Tammy and Dave Whitlatch

Salisbury

Cleaning up our world

I am in second grade and I am tired of seeing trash all over the world. When I see trash I think of all that one piece of trash can do. One time in Cub Scouts, we went around picking up trash. When I did that, I felt like I was caring for the Earth. You can help care for the Earth too, by recycling, picking up trash and not littering. I hope some day I will see less trash in the world.

— Luke Brady

Salisbury

Don't raise hotel tax

I am shocked at the City Council and the greed of the Tourism Development Authority for even thinking about raising the present level of 3 percent to 6 percent. This is a very unfair tax. It's like John Doe stopping at Salisbury for a night's rest, and you slap him in the face with a tax to pay for your tourism ads. Or Joe the plumber stops here to pick up supplies from some of our fine wholesale shops. He needs to spend the night and gets hit with a tax to feed someone else. Never mind that Joe eats and spends money in the county and pays taxes at each stop. It's just unfair, and those who reap from tourism should be kicking in the funds to do this.

We are taxed to death. Never mind that Charlotte or Concord is doing this; it's still just plain unfair and stupid. We've had people say they chose Salisbury or Rowan County because of the lower hotel tax.

I feel there should not be any hotel tax. I detest being slapped with a hotel tax at the beach or wherever.

Councilman Mark Lewis said it's important for the city to promote tourism, I agree, but the charges for this should come from those who benefit from tourism, not those staying at the hotels of the city and county.

I think also the county should lower sales taxes to attract people from other counties to shop here in Rowan.

— Derwood Puckett

Salisbury

Lessons from the past

When I was young,there was no National Education Association; schools were run locally and children learned. If they did not quite understand the lesson for the day, they went back to the classroom after school let out for extra instruction. If they failed a grade, they were obliged to repeat it the next year. If they "horsed" around and disrupted the class, they were punished — oftentimes with a paddle. None had their egos permantly damaged. Why can't we have that today?

— Charles Kepple

Salisbury