Letter unfairly attacked farmers and LandTrust
I am glad that Rick Morris voiced his support for preservation in his letter to the editor published in Monday’s Post. His opinion in this regard is consistent with recent polling in this county that indicates most people (approximately two-thirds of this county) would like to retain both the landscapes and cultural heritage associated with our farming tradition. However, I am compelled ó for the sake of The Land Trust for Central North Carolina and for the sake of decent farmers whose names were maligned in Mr. Morris’ letter ó to correct some misstatements made by Mr. Morris.
His letter implies The LandTrust will receive money from these grant awards, but our organization will receive no operational support from these grant awards, despite devoting almost 50 hours of staff time and several thousand dollars in overhead and other resources toward submitting the applications. We are proud to provide this service free of charge to our area farmers and landowners who request us to apply on their behalf.
Mr. Morris also erroneously implies The LandTrust for Central North Carolina is involved in the ongoing county land-use plan. We are not. Furthermore, he suggests that grant awards through the state’s farmland preservation trust fund have a direct relationship to county taxes. They do not.
Mr. Morris and surely others may well disagree with the many programs our state and federal governments have in place to preserve farms and keep agricultural products (i.e., food) affordable. However, accusing families of “conflicts of interest,” “shaming” them in the paper for participating in such programs and inaccurately implying that one of these grant recipients has already received funding is not a respectful way of bringing about the change in policies he evidently seeks.
ó Andrew Waters
Salisbury
Waters is operations director for the LandTrust for Central North Carolina.
Transportation options
In response to the July 15 letter “It’s time to speak up”:
The people of West Rowan should be thankful RITA is available for them at least two days a week. It is time for families to step up and assume responsibility for helping their own. In these difficult times, with high gas prices, we all need to adjust our schedules and make every trip count. I know we are limiting our trips and making each one count. My husband’s niece gave up a very lucrative career to be available for her parents. I just hope and pray I have raised my children to care for my needs when the time comes. RITA is a wonderful service and we all need to make choices.
ó Ruth Carper
Woodleaf
Fear, greed and annexation
I was going to have all my friends over this past weekend for a barbecue, but decided against it because I knew all of the city council would show up uninvited, eat all the food and then send me a bill charging me for the pleasure of their company. That’s what forced annexation is. It has a strange effect on people.
Forced annexation puts fear into the hearts of the mindless and greed into the minds of the heartless.
Even if a town could provide everything n which it never will or even intends to n citizens would still have everything except freedom. I would rather have freedom than to have my trash picked up or sewer lines, neither of which I need. I need my freedom. We all need freedom.
Forced annexation is backward, barbaric and unsophisticated. It allows no diplomacy, compromise, foresight or reasoning.
Thomas Jefferson said that the resistance to tyrants is obedience to God, so as long as these people are in power in Raleigh and in this town we will be obeying God.
No good deed goes unpunished, especially by the government. Your hard work, responsibility and competency are sure to be punished by intrusive taxation while lazy ineptitude is rewarded with everything from free housing to health care and positions in local government. Notice that every time a city council takes a stand it is on the backs of taxpayers?
Fight these people as hard as you can. Sometimes valor is the better part of discretion.
There will be no county left unless the people in the county begin to realize the threat. If not, when you feel the stab of forced annexation, it will be in your back. Join the fight today.
ó Keith Bost
Sapona