First, Elizabeth Cook, congratulations on your retirement. You have done a wonderful job and a great service to our community. May God bless you and have an enjoyable and healthy retirement.

Second, I am very happy to see the school board wake up and become financially responsible. Consolidation of facilities for more efficient use of resources is a great way to save and to be good stewards of our money. Too bad you did not do it sooner and save the funds spent on that extravagant central office. You could have used one of the schools to be closed for that purpose. Please do a better job of long range planning in the future.

Third, I am very concerned about the direction of our governments (local, state and federal). With all the fighting, obstruction and investigations, we have lost sight of our biggest problem, which is spending more than we have, and adding to our out-of control national debt. We should demand a balanced budget that makes payments on the national debt.

No one knows how much debt is too much but it seems we are passed that amount.

We should stop all the ridiculous investigations in to Russian election fraud that did not affect the outcome. We do not need a southern border wall. Just let our officials enforce existing laws. That wall and other unnecessary expenditures will only make our debt increase. If we do not reduce our public debt all the money individuals have saved will be worthless. Worse, we will be headed for a financial meltdown like Greece.

Elected officials please quit arguing, start cooperating and do something about our spending and debt.

— Brad Farrah

Salisbury