Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, December 20, 1994 TAG: 9501190013
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
I lived in North Carolina, had a nice house with 65 acres of land, a new truck, a car and some farm equipment. My total taxes were $350. Now, I have a house on a small lot, the same now-5-year-old truck, and I pay taxes that are six times that. But don't let me overlook the fact that I now get my garbage picked up once a week.
Maybe we need to send our local politicians the same message that was sent to Washington.
I wrote this letter just after hearing our president, who just peered out from under Hillary's skirt, announce, believe it or not, a tax cut.
CHARLES HINSON
ROANOKE
Leave Bedford County alone
REGARDING Bedford's merger talks:
I could write a book about Bedford city mismanagement and why I never want it to penetrate into Bedford County, but let one illustration suffice.
While the town of Rocky Mount, population 4,500, with no manager and no electric department was accumulating $7 million to $8 million in the banks, Bedford city, population 6,000, with two city managers and municipal electric department, was accumulating $30 million in bonded debt.
THOMAS M. MARTIN
BEDFORD
Why cancel downtown event?
FIRST, the Class J No. 611. Now, Dickens of a Christmas. What's next?
The sun was shining bright, and the weather was warm. At 12:30 p.m., a decision was made by one or two on the board of directors for Downtown Roanoke to cancel the Dickens event. No merchants or other board members were called. We found out on the radio. How unfair!
The City Market merchants have worked 12 years to build up the market place, and deserve better. I know, I've been involved.
SHIRLEY F. TAYLOR
ROANOKE
Haters and hate crimes
TWENTIETH-century technology has provided us with its most recent fantasy - hate crimes.
For propaganda purposes, we can now distinguish hate crimes from love crimes. Love crimes of murder, mayhem, rape, assault, etc., can now be easily differentiated from hate crimes of murder, mayhem, rape, assault, etc. The consequence of love crimes vs. hate crimes makes a tremendous difference, no doubt, to the victim as well as to family and friends.
Haters love hate crimes because freedoms of speech, expression and thought can now be criminalized. Haters and their hate-filled organizations are now above criticism.
For example, while our society languishes in need of new infrastructure, factories, research laboratories and the resulting jobs that would be created, we give billions away to a preferred foreign country while this preferred country's army kills 10-year-olds for throwing stones and bulldozes homes while stealing the owners' property, lives and families. Civilized society would call this barbarism; the haters justify it in the name of ``security.''
RUSSELL F. WALKER
RICH CREEK
Chiropractors may get respect now
RECENTLY, the new government-based guidelines for the treatment of low back pain were announced, and guess what treatment received the highest grade? Spinal manipulation. Guess who does 94 percent of spinal manipulation (adjustments) in the United States? Chiropractors! This is what chiropractors and their patients have told others for about 100 years.
Now with the guidelines from a government agency for health-care policy and research, and an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, those medical doctors who have discouraged patients from being treated by chiropractors had better take a good, long look at the scientific literature.
JERRY R. WILLIS
Chiropractor
WYTHEVILLE
Pay federal retirees before cutting taxes
AS A FEDERAL retiree, I applaud House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell, as well as your editorial staff, for the stern criticism of Gov. Allen's ideas on tax cuts (Dec. 13 news story, ``Cranwell castigates Allen ideas'' and editorial, ``Sticking it to the localities'').
Gorgeous George, boots and all, says he's for full-term court sentencing and no parole. But as head of Virginia, responsible for the crime of unlawful taxation, he advocates, concerning the settlement with federal retirees, reducing the sentencing or rate of restitution, in my case since I retired in 1965, to one-sixth - four years out of 24. He then wants early parole by requesting that only 87 percent of approved restitution be paid, and without interest.
Early on, I went along with his approach because I didn't want to penalize our state's education programs. Higher education has already taken a hit and local education systems cannot be far behind. But now he tells us that there are no funding problems. Instead, funds will be available for tax cuts.
As leader of state government, he should make full restitution to include interest to federal retirees before giving tax cuts. That's the proper, legal, and moral obligation.
Allen wanted Virginians to elect a person who had trampled on the U.S. Constitution as a U.S. senator. He needs proper guidance, which means we need to elect more Democrats like Cranwell to the General Assembly. For starters, Jim Olin would make us a good state senator.
FRANKLIN M. RIDENOUR
ROANOKE
Should know-nots have a vote?
EACH ELECTION, the media and public-service groups urge everyone to vote and then deplore the low turnout.
I was reminded of this by Leonard J. Uttal's Dec. 10 letter to the editor (``How to spell sales-tax relief? With higher cigarette taxes'') in which he stated, ``Excuse me, but only 40 percent of the voters thought it worth their time to vote. In my book, that is no mandate but a sign of public contempt with a lot of politicians.'' An Associated Press story on Dec. 9, entitled ``Gingrich a polarizing politician,'' noted a Times Mirror poll showing that 25 percent had a favorable opinion of him, 28 percent unfavorable, 17 percent had no opinion, and 30 percent had never heard of him.
Making the rather dubious assumption that some desiring a big turnout have pure motives, honestly believe that one would enhance our country and aren't motivated by a desire to affect the election's outcome, I'd like to know how they reached the conclusion that those who don't know who Gingrich is or have no opinion about him can help us make a better decision.
WILLIAM F. WESTON
VINTON
Locomotive was hardly limping
DEC. 7 was a sad day for many people around the world, since it was Pearl Harbor Day. However, it was also sad here in Roanoke and at other points along the Norfolk Southern rail system. Dec. 7 marked the last time the mighty Class J No. 611 would steam into Roanoke.
I was surprised that your Dec. 8 news story (``Roanoke tradition chugs to an end'') was very misleading. There was more than a ``small cadre of hard-core steam buffs.'' I was fortunate enough to follow the classic engine back from Greensboro, N.C., and there was a large number of people watching, reminiscing, and even crying along the tracks that it ran on. It's true that it was depressing, but one thing for sure that's not true, was that ``the 611 limped past.''
I drove alongside this locomotive at speeds close to 60 miles per hour. There's nothing greater to do than just that - and to listen to its whistle blowing, the sound of the exhaust, and the sound of the drivers working. It might have gone slow because of speed restrictions inside the Roanoke terminal, but that was for safety reasons, and because the track was being replaced in some areas.
Also, on the front page, your caption was misleading. The 611 didn't steam out of the city; it steamed in.
JOSHUA CEASE
ROANOKE
by CNB