Flawed annexation law
is cause of citizen action
Salisbury officials will probably be very surprised to learn I have no real quarrel with the statement that Planning Director Joe Morris gave to a Post reporter following the Jan. 22 meeting of the Joint Legislative Commission on Municipal Annexation. Mr. Morris is quoted as saying, “Our objective all along has been to comply with the laws that the General Assembly gives to us.”
The opponents of Salisbury’s attempt to annex the Mooresville Road corridor were very vocal in their fight against this action, describing the annexation effort as unsound, unfair, arcane, inane, insane, undemocratic and un-American. No one argued that it was illegal. The real heart of the problem and the reason that our remedy must come through the General Assembly is that the annexation law is the problem, not the cities.
Many legislators and the League of Municipalities would have us believe that there is nothing wrong with the law and that the public uproar is being caused by a few maverick cities who have abused the law. Tina Hall reminded the commission quite emphatically that this is not the case and that this flawed law must be corrected.
The commission’s Jan. 22 actions gave us a glimmer of hope that some meaningful annexation reform will come in this year’s session of the General Assembly. Rowan County can be proud of the stands taken by Representative Steen and County Commissioner Hall as a part of this commission. Rowan can also be very proud that approximately 50 private citizens traveled to Raleigh to attend all of the meetings of this group and made their feelings known.
I urge all interested Rowan citizens to actively support the bills that will be introduced in the legislature as a result of the commission’s work. Please help. You can make a difference.
ó Carl Eagle
Salisbury
Best wishes to Obama, nationAfter reading Maureen Dowd’s scathing column about “W’s departure” in the socialist-leaning N.Y. times, I thought I was reading about the exit of the president of Iran! I come from a military family, some with combat experience in four of the last five wars; they fought so Maureen Dowd and even Salisbury Post “left leaners” have the right to print negative things about presidents and the military.
As a U.S. Navy journalist during the Vietnam War (1967-71) and editor of my ship’s newspaper for almost two years, I was educated in the ways of the liberals when I was 19 years old. I attended anti-war rallies with my military haircut and was cursed at by college kids my own age in the ’60s.
I’m proud to be a conservative. A McCain/Palin supporter, I wish Obama the best. Hopefully, he will continue Bush’s policies that have kept America safe for the past seven years, despite Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.
Finally, my biggest fear is the potential damage of the Bill and Hillary world mystery tour for the next four years!
ó Fred Moore Jr.
Salisbury
Animal euthanasia
This week a bill to mandate humane euthanasia in N.C. animal shelters will be introduced in the N.C. General Assembly. What is it and why do we need it?
An injection of sodium pentobarbital prepared specifically as a euthanasia agent, when properly performed, has been found to be the most humane, safest, least stressful and most professional choice by experts, including the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Sixty-five N.C. counties currently use this as their primary method of animal euthanasia.
Initiated after WWII, the carbon monoxide gas chamber is used by Rowan and 35 other counties. Its many limitations include the need for a backup method (sodium pentobarbital) for young, very old, sick or injured animals making it less practical, slower and more expensive than lethal injection.
Humane animal care is an integral part of a civilized society. The 2007 AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia state, “It is our responsibility as human beings to ensure that if an animal’s life is to be taken, it is done with the highest degree of respect, and with an emphasis on making the death as painless and distress free as possible.” Animal suffering is not tolerated in the United States, as proven by anti-cruelty statutes in every state, including felony provisions in 38 states. Lawmakers and law enforcement officials cannot expect to hold citizens to a level of humane treatment mandated by state and local laws that they themselves are not adhering to in the shelter environment.
Sodium pentobarbital injection is cheaper than the gas chamber, but even so, using the most humane method available is the right thing to do.
Contact Sen. Andrew Brock (919-715-0690 or andrewb@ncleg.net), Rep. Lorene Coates (919-733-5784 or lorenec@ncleg.net) and Rep. Fred Steen (919-733-5881 or fredst@ncleg.net) and tell them to co-sponsor and support the Humane Euthanasia Bill.
ó Beth Bowman
Salisbury