Forget about land use plan;

freedom is the real solution

As to your Thursday editorial on the need for a land use plan, you made a trivial remark about the independent streak of the Scotch Irish. Rowan County is full of Scotch Irish people. Realize that the same blood that flows through the veins of present day people of Rowan is the same blood that flowed through the brave Scotch Irish patriots who won independence for our country. These were the men who defeated the British at Kings Mountain, Cowpens and Guilford Courthouse. And if Rowan Countians wake up and realize what is about to be done to them, you may see how trivial they are.

You continue to preach the virtues of government planning over individual decisions and of free market forces, as if government control is always better. You are trying to scare everyone into accepting this government control by claiming “growth is coming!” No joke. Growth IS coming. So what? Show your readers one example where more government is better to control growth — or anything else. Better yet, show us all where more government control ensures more of our freedoms.

You may be correct that the majority of our commissioners favor some type of “plan.” Jon Barber claims we can have a government plan, yet respect property owners’ rights. Sorry, Jon, that can’t happen.

To the commissioners that would vote to transfer control of property from the rightful owners to the government, remember there will come a time when you are no longer a commissioner. If you empower your local government now with this tool, what will happen if a future commission decides to change the “plan” to a more restrictive scheme? What if they come after your property? Wouldn’t it be better if we didn’t create a land use plan and instead let freedom control our future?

— Steve Poteat

Salisbury