Many ways for Dole
to serve in Salisbury
Now that Elizabeth Dole won’t be retaining her Senate seat, maybe she can devote her free time here in her hometown of Salisbury. She stated in the Nov. 5 edition of the Salisbury Post that she was not ready to retire ó “I will rededicate myself to public service.” Maybe she can serve the citizens of Salisbury/Rowan County by either running for City Council, county commission or the Rowan-Salisbury school board. She may also want to volunteer at the school that is named in her honor. I feel that this would be a good thing for her to do, since she clams she lives here in Salisbury.
ó Todd Lingle
Salisbury
Straight-ticket voting a deliberate choice
In reference to the front page article, “Swept away by the Obama wave,” Dr. Michael Bitzer and others have expressed their expert opinions of why Elizabeth Dole, Pat McCrory and other Republican candidates lost the election. I am one who marked a straight-party ticket, and it absolutely was no mistake that I chose that path! They can make any excuse they wish, but they should keep it to themselves and change their ways. The blame for the Democratic landslide (and yes, it was a landslide) is clearly a message that the Republicans’ performance has left much to be desired.
ó C.J. Atkins
Salisbury
Don’t try to sugarcoat the voters’ verdict
Straight ticket voters? Obama wave? I understand Elizabeth Dole is a Salisbury native, but please don’t sugarcoat her defeat. Most voters understand how to vote for a single election when doing a straight ticket. How many Republicans outside of Rowan didn’t vote for Dole? She lost because of her ineffectiveness and bigoted behavior. Trying to name a recent AIDS bill after Jesse Helms is just one example of her misguided “godless” actions. Good riddance, Mrs. Dole … hope you enjoy your retirement in Kansas!
ó Gina Goff
Salisbury
Greed and deceit are hallmark of politicians
What’s wrong with most of the people of these United States?
For as long as I can remember, the two parties that are running for president tell the voters what they will do if they get elected; they will tell you one lie after another.
They’ll tell you they are going to stop the high cost of gas, the high cost of food, that they can turn the economy around and give all Americans a better way of life. That they will lower taxes, do this and that for our senior citizens and our children.
But what happens when they get in office? The excuses start: “I don’t remember saying that” … “You took my words out of context.”
Have Americans forgotten that in every presidential election, so many lies are told and few of them are ever remembered again? The only thing that politicians are really good at is telling lies and getting all the money they need or want from the oil cartels, the food industry and other billion-dollar corporations. When are we going to stop listening to all the lies, and when are going to elect people that we can trust, who mean what they say and won’t be so greedy?
I just hope it’s not too late for us and our children.
ó Melvin Simms
Salisbury
This election proves voting makes difference
I personally have been so frustrated for years because it was almost as if people were depressed and felt helpless when it came to voting. So many times, they said there is no reason to even waste your time voting, especially in local government, because the politicians are going to do exactly what they want to do. What the people want makes no difference. Of course, it will be true if enough people do not go to vote and clean house, and keep doing so until elected officials actually get that they are indeed there to represent the wishes of the majority of the people, not special interests, big business or their own views.
I hope that every one remembers this election in the future and views their vote as a privilege that they would be willing to fight for, as many have fought and died to give them that right. Voting is your voice. Use it in the future, not just one time. If we all turned out for all elections in the numbers we have for this one, we could change this whole country for the good.
ó Janet Dennis
China Grove
Contact represenatatives about VA center changes
For those veterans, their family and concerned citizens that participated in the “picket” at Hefner VA Medical Center to show their opposition to planned changes in medical services, I believe there is only one way to get a “fair hearing.” Every concerned person should immediately write or call their elected representatives in Congress and the Senate and request that they insist the secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs publish a full disclosure of their proposals in the Code of Federal Register, as prescribed under the Administrative Procedures Policy Act of 1964. This would provide all concerned with an opportunity to make comments that must be considered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Their response to comments would be consolidated, published again in the Federal Register and made available to the U.S. Congress and Senate for their review prior to publishing a final rule.
It is believed their proposed changes in rules and procedures at the VA Hefner Medical Center justify the procedure outlined above. Otherwise, it is not believed a “fair hearing” will be afforded to veterans and concerned citizens of our great nation.
ó James Taylor
Salisbury
Salisbury High didn’t deserve forfeitures
I was very upset to read about Salisbury High School having to forfeit four football games. Let me see if I have this right: A student transfers from North Rowan to SHS over the summer. NRHS sends SHS the student’s official transcript, which indicates that the student had passed his requisite classes for the 07-08 school year and was promoted to the next grade. Now NRHS reports to the governing body that the student is ineligible to play because of attendance issues during the 07-08 school year. How is this the fault of SHS? SHS was just acting on the information from NRHS. NRHS gave the student credit. NRHS promoted the student to the next grade. NRHS supplied the incorrect information to SHS. And now NRHS, after getting beat on the field, cries foul?
If the student didn’t meet the requirements, why did the transcript from NRHS indicate that he had? Sounds like a setup to me, and the SHS football team is taking the fall. At a minimum, NRHS should not get a win against SHS, since NRHS provided the fraudulent information to SHS in the first place. By the way, why was the information incorrect? Why did NRHS give the student credit on his official transcript and promote him to the next grade? Was NRHS trying to keep the student eligible so he could play for them and then the student moved out of district? This just doesn’t meet the smell test.
On the subject of eligibility, are you aware that a student needs only a 0.75 GPA to play sports? The state requires only that a student pass three out of four classes to play. That’s right, three Ds and an F the previous semester is acceptable. Whatever happened to at least a minimum GPA of 2.0, a C, to play sports?
ó Cathy Cobb
Salisbury
Salisbury High, player are due an apology
It doesn’t seem fair that the Salisbury football team has been penalized for improper information given by North Rowan. If the transcript shows that a student has the credits needed to play sports, then the student should have been eligible. The response by Que Tucker (of the N.C. High School Athletic Association) that Dr. Eagle should have placed a phone call to North Rowan to “talk to someone directly” is silly. The problem lies with the administration at North Rowan not performing their job correctly. We know that the school system and public companies operate differently. If this incident had happened within a public company, then someone would have been reprimanded or possibly terminated. Maybe the reprimand needs to start with the Rowan-Salisbury School administration. Do their forms or system of transfer not provide the information needed to keep a situation like this from happening to a student?
Regardless where the problem lies with the transfer of David Dubose, North Rowan and Rowan-Salisbury School administration owe David Dubose and the Salisbury football team a public apology. They have clearly not performed their duties in the transfer of Mr. Dubose and this has caused suffering and heartaches to Mr. Dubose and many young men of the Salisbury football team.
ó Larry Eagle
Salisbury