This Sides show
costs taxpayers
In response to Mike Glass’ Aug. 6 letter: The issue concerning surveyors cutting branches on Jim Sides’ property is not a matter of the city infringing on Sides’ personal property rights. In surveying property, particularly when creating necessary easements, the city is actually doing the required diligence to protect personal property rights, by ensuring that land is accurately surveyed and that the owners of property are compensated for the correct amount of land.
Further, as a matter of policy, it makes sense that no municipality should be expected to compensate citizens for de minimus cutting of shrubs, underbrush or similar weeds in doing such surveying. If the city had to compensate someone for every twig or weed trampled on in surveying property, wouldn’t the money have to come from somewhere? It would, from increased taxes. Even Mr. Sides is against increased taxes, correct? Being traditionally a fiscal conservative myself, it’s a little sickening to think of how much money the city has likely already had to spend in legal fees because of this “Sides-show.”
Given the skyrocketing land values over the past few years, the value of protecting personal property rights through accurate surveying far outweighs compensating every person with an axe to grind (no pun intended) for snapping a few small branches to ensure accurate measurements. After all, as anyone who’s done yard work knows, the undeniable thing about underbrush and weeds is that they will grow back.
Of course, regardless of how this plays out, Jim Sides has already gotten what he wanted, subsidized publicity that he won’t have to pay for himself when he runs for re-election next year. He’s traded spending his own money for spending your public tax dollars to get publicity. I guess at least someone will save money because of this spectacle.
ó Clark Walton
Salisbury
Making a difference
Elizabeth Cook’s reflections in Sunday’s Post about her mission trip to Reynosa, Mexico, were truly an inspiration. It would be wonderful if it were to be reprinted in every newspaper in America and discussed in every place where people of faith are “uniting people in need with people who can help.”
After reading Mrs. Cook’s moving account of making a difference “bit by bit,” we found ourselves reaching back over the years to other times and places where people were committed to crossing borders “with hammers, towels and faith.” We have been enriched by the lives of those who have “cared for the least of these” without the thought of anything in return. Having moved to Salisbury, just a little over a year ago, we feel privileged to live in a city where we have seen community defined more broadly than “our own.” We can now add to our “litany of names” many new friends and the places where they and we can care.
Mrs. Cook’s article brought to our minds the words attributed to John Wesley (English religious leader 1703-1791). “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”
Thank you for the inspiration we and others have received through your column.
ó Robert and Ruth Battles
Salisbury
Meeting a hero
I went to Rockwell Rural Volunteer Fire Department for the annual family night on Aug. 7. My father and mother, Bonnie and Allen Cress, are both members of the department. I went for the free food, honestly, but something amazing happened. Being brought up around the medical and fire fields, I took for granted what they really do until I met Darin Williams. Williams was the honorary guest. RRVFD had helped save his life after a serious car accident that almost killed him and left him in a coma for three months. Williams was not expected to live, but from the power of God and the great people that helped him, he is now talking, walking and telling everyone about his miracle. He opened my eyes. The people who help and serve our community óeither fire, medical or police óare our heroes. They are our angels on Earth. Thank You!
ó Brandy Myers
Salisbury
Dogs & abortion
While I certainly don’t condone Michael Vick’s actions and cruelty to animals, I was wondering where is all the hue and outcry about the sadistic cruelty and heinous activity in this country with all the killing of unborn human beings? Why don’t we get upset about this?
ó Dick Richards
Salisbury
Forced annexation is the malignancy spreading across North Carolina like the plague. Townships are misusing the archaic annexation law to simply steal money from surrounding neighbors while simultaneously corrupting the very foundations of our constitutional system by denying private property rights, forcing taxation without representation and denying citizens the right to vote.
Towns across this state are picking off areas to steal, one at a time, and it time that we stood together. Join the Fair Annexation Coalition on the Web at fac@nc.rr.com. Band together with other nearby communities for support and legal advice by writing to lexingtonnc@yahoo.com or calling 336-239-6926.
Information, support and voices need to join on a statewide network or we will all hang separately. There are many bills in the House for annexation reform and some for de-annexation, and I plan to take letters from people who have been annexed in the past to Raleigh in support of Bill HB1061 which calls for de-annexation of areas that have been forcefully annexed in the past. Mayors and city leaders recently testified before a hearing in Raleigh and said that people who have been annexed are happy and content with having been annexed
Send your letters or call. The politicians in Raleigh need to hear the truth. North Carolina is one of only four states still practicing the neo-communist method of forced, no-vote annexation, which allows municipalities to steal tax dollars to support their ever- increasing entitlement infrastructure and every town council’s own useless vanity projects and failed leadership. As Thomas Jefferson said, “the whole mass of the people are the only sure reliance for the preservation of liberty”
ó Keith Bost
Lexington
The Minneapolis bridge disaster was a terrible thing, and it brought home an interesting and valid point. These kinds of tragedies should not happen in America, and don’t have to happen.
Our federal government has no money to fix bridges, resurface roads or make necessary repairs to our nation’s infrastructure. Do you know why? It’s because we are dropping millions of dollars a day on a war that we are not winning and that has no visible end, and we, the citizens, are paying for it!
Since our invasion of Iraq, terrorists have overrun a country where previously they had no presence; we’ve lost nearly 4,000 of our finest men and women and seriously maimed or disabled another 12,000. Many of our wonderful soldiers are on their third, fourth or fifth tour of duty in this hot zone, and no appreciable gains have been made. Osama Bin Laden, the man responsible for the tragedy of 911, is still at large, recruiting terrorists and wreaking his havoc on the world.
Being occupiers in Iraq has not stopped the terror attacks on Spain, England, Egypt, or put an end to the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis.
We have an administration that is reviled in much of the world, and we have allowed it to thumb its nose at our Constitution, ignore basic civil rights of our citizens, and continue to ignore the devastation in New Orleans, not to mention failing to secure our borders!
When will we wake up and say, enough? Our bridges and roads are in serious danger in America, and, if not for this war, they could be repaired. As it is, many of our more wondrous manmade structures and our ecosystem remain on borrowed time.
Please remember this the next time you cross a bridge ó or go into a voting booth.
ó Jan McCanless
China Grove
Maybe it’s time to call Russell
As the Post has reported, Salisbury-Rowan EDC Director Randy Harrell has submitted his resignation, effective Aug. 24. Randy was an excellent EDC director, whose professional accomplishments are exceeded only by his exemplary service to the community. As our county is just now realizing the benefits of the legacy he and former commissioner Steve Blount have planned for our prosperity, I have a suggestion.
Tim Russell, whose professional accomplishments have yet to be exceeded, would be the ideal candidate for the EDC position. Mr. Russell is a committed community leader who served on the United Way board and raised record sums of money for local charitable organizations. The hallmark of his tenure as county manager was the unparalleled prosperity and overall sense of well-being he always seemed to bring to the citizens of Rowan County.
For those who know him, Tim is honest, fair and possesses the demeanor that would make him an excellent EDC director. It’s my understanding that Mr. Russell announced his resignation from Gates County last week.
I submit that if Tim Russell makes a commitment to you, it can be counted on without question. Simply put, he is a man of integrity. His resignation as Gates County manager could not have happened at a more opportune moment.
ó James Walls
Salisbury