Letters to the editor – Sunday (3-29-08)

Published 12:00 am Friday, March 27, 2009

Plan, and plant, for the future without eating ‘seed corn’
A few months ago, we were informed that Rowan County’s budget was short $1 million and Salisbury’s budget was lacking $1.5 million. North Carolina’s state budget is short a few billion dollars. Now, we are told the county is short almost $5 million.
Across America governing bodies at all levels are facing serious budget shortfalls; witness California’s multibillion dollar shortfalls. Governing bodies are seeking “bailouts” from the federal government. Last week, the feds told us no help for states’ debts. Finally, some sanity from Washington!
Congress’ stimulus bill is full of “shovel ready” projects for a myriad of towns and cities across America. These include sidewalks, road resurfacing, bridge repairs and so on.
Problem is, they are being “financed” by a federal government that has to borrow funds from Communist China and others to pay for them. Duh!
Seems to me that if we have “local” things in need of fixing, we at the local level should provide funding to fix them, not Washington. We must pay our own way for the things we need. Unfortunately, we need to cut local government costs and may have to tax ourselves a bit more to realize necessary funding. So be it.
However, we need to be careful about what we cut. As part of cost cutting, our school budget may be cut, forcing teachers and staff to be reduced which, in turn, reduces the quality of our young people’s education. This would be tantamount to “eating our seed corn.” Economic downturns demand increased education to work ourselves via innovation back to good times.
Wise men and women need to find a way to finance (without too much hurt on economically stressed families) our real needs without eating our seed corn.
ó Ty Cobb Jr.
Rockwell
Careless drivers, dead animals
While taking my son to school this morning, we came upon a beautiful orange and white tabby cat that had been hit and left for dead in the middle of the road. I stopped to check, but of course the cat had died ó probably earlier that morning. Knowing I just couldn’t leave him there to get hit over and over again, I took a pair of gloves from my car and carried him to the grassy area away from the road. I cried the entire time.
In the last month or so, I have come across 11 animals that have been hit and left for dead on these roads. I’m not talking about skunks, squirrels or opossums; these animals have been cats or dogs, and they may or may not have been someone’s pet. Are we as people in such a hurry or so distracted by today’s electronic gadgets that we’ll hit whatever comes into our path and keep going? These are God’s creatures, too, and should be treated in the same way as humans. We wouldn’t hit a person and keep on going, or at least, I hope not. But I know it has been done, and those people have a lot to answer for.
Yes, part of the blame falls on the animal’s owner because they should not have their pet running loose. But we as drivers are responsible for our driving. I love animals, and I’m an animal owner. I’m proud to say I’ve never hit an animal by accident or on purpose, and I hope I will always be able to say that.
Please slow down while driving. Hang up those cell phones and be aware of your surroundings while driving. You never know when it may be your pet that dies because of a careless driver.
ó Lynne Miller
Rockwell