ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 9, 1996 TAG: 9603120048
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
I HAVE seen and read a lot of news lately on the Henry Street project. I'd like to say one thing to the citizens who are attending these meetings: You might as well forget it.
In the end, our officials will do as they like - not caring whether you like it or not. I say this from experience. Did the citizens of Roanoke have anything to say on tearing out part of the viaduct, building the tower or conference center, all the spending on Hotel Roanoke or building the ugly walkway that blocks out the view of the beautiful hotel?
When they were talking about the tower, I attended City Council meetings. At the time, David Bowers said it was a ``done deal,'' and so it was. I've been very disappointed in Bowers' performance since he became mayor. Everything that's been done since he took over the office has been a ``done deal.''
Will taxpayers ever have a say in anything? Taxes continue to rise each year.
JAMES B. STUMP
SALEM
Oregon still relies on wood products
YOUR STATEMENTS regarding Oregon's economy in your Feb. 4 editorial ("Let's outgrow our old growth debate") are misleading. The wood-products industry still accounts for about one-third of Oregon's economic base, even with the recent drastic reduction in timber harvesting on its national forests.
More than 50 percent of Oregon's forests are owned by the federal government. Annual wood-growth potential on these forests exceeds annual harvest by a wide margin. This translates into the loss of thousands of high-paying forest industry jobs in rural Oregon.
Most of the state's high-tech job growth, so ballyhooed in your editorial, is confined to Portland and the Interstate 5 corridor. Resource-based industries dominate the rest of the state. Businesses moving to Oregon are reaping the benefits of services, facilities and highways paid for by revenues and taxes generated by the wood-products industry.
Now let's apply that situation to Virginia. Suppose we declared that Virginians could no longer harvest most of their trees and farm products, and we depressed Virginia's economy everywhere except the interstate highway corridors. Would you regard this as a positive economic development? Would it be fair to encourage out-of-state businesses to move in at the expense of Virginia's agricultural and forestry heritage?
We can have beautiful scenery and health-renewable resource-based industries - in Oregon and Virginia.
RICK MEYER
Division Forester
American Pulpwood Association, Inc.
ROANOKE
Vilifying those who dare to disagree
IN RESPONSE to Alan Sorensen's rambling condemnation (Feb. 18 column, ``If you disagree, you must be different and deviant'') of the anonymous letter writer's view concerning your newspaper's promotion of homosexuality: Sorensen should know not to ever read anonymous letters.
However, I do take exception to his vilification of those who oppose homosexuality. While I don't condone calling homosexuals freaks or "dirty, nasty things," neither do I condone promoting their behavior as normal.
I also resent this newspaper's continual promotion of the homosexual lifestyle, and its own constant name-calling and ridicule of those who oppose this perversion. I guess Sorensen thinks it's OK to bash those who stand for family and morality, while not daring to speak out against the low elements in our society - those who spread disease and death, and cost taxpayers millions of tax dollars so they can indulge in their unnatural behavior.
How is Sorensen any different from the anonymous letter writer?
DON ASSAID
ROANOKE
Knowing blood type can save lives
OUR PRESIDENT recently signed the defense budget into law. While this was necessary and commendable, he has again displayed his unfamiliarity with the needs and well-being of our service people.
On entry, every member of the armed services is blood-typed, and it's embossed on the member's dog tags. One of the purposes of this was, and I suppose still is, to provide corpsmen and doctors a rapid reference for direct battlefield transfusions, thereby establishing that a badly wounded comrade could be assured of speedy life-saving blood. Our casualties have shown a greatly reduced mortality rate because of this and other innovations in medicine.
It's inconceivable to me that Clinton would put in jeopardy those people he professes to lead and admire. Should he pursue his stated intentions [regarding those who test positive for HIV] it will show a disregard for service people and contempt for those he commands.
WILLIAM P. FREEMAN
Sgt. Maj., United States
Marine Corp (Retired)
PEMBROKE
Satisfaction isn't guaranteed
THE RECENT Republican presidential candidates' debate reminded me of the remark the gal made after making love for the first time. She said, ``Is that all there is?'' I have a sneaking suspicion who our next elected president will be.
JOE LOCKHART
ROANOKE
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