ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 30, 1997 TAG: 9701300002
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
Red tape, license tax can be cut
ONE SMALL step for taxpayers across Virginia would be to eliminate the local city and county automobile-license fees. Local automobile licensing is nothing more than a flat personal-property tax.
The hassle encountered by local citizens having to go through this government red tape every year to pay this fee justifies its elimination. The $10 to $25 collected per vehicle isn't an efficient or effective use of the time and effort of government employees who are responsible for its collection and enforcement.
In days gone by, local licenses were used by city and counties to levy the main personal-property tax on automobiles. With modern electronic data from Virginia's Department of Motor Vehicles, every city and county government now receives accurate information on every automobile registered in its locality.
If you don't believe it, if you have sold or traded vehicles in the past couple of years, look at your local personal-property tax assessment. It's obvious the county or city knows exactly when you changed automobiles, whether or not you transferred your local license; your tax is precisely prorated.
The local licensing tax has become in effect a dinosaur. Its elimination would be one small step for taxpayers and one symbolic step toward eliminating government red tape now outdated by modern technology.
PHIL THEISEN
LYNCHBURG
Make life better for animal friends
ACTRESS Alicia Silverstone is now appearing in a series of public-service announcements on television about how to reduce companion-animal overpopulation. Good for her!
She is trying to do something about the 8 million dogs and cats that are killed in pounds and shelters nationwide every year. While all this killing goes on, 3 million dogs and 1 million cats are purchased annually from pet stores and breeders. Pet stores only feed a cruel breeding industry that brings unneeded animals into the world. The responsible thing to do is to stop by the local animal shelter. Shelters have plenty of healthy animals, including pure breeds, desperate for a new home.
It's also irresponsible to let a dog or cat get pregnant just to watch the miracle of birth.
Spaying and neutering are humane options. Contrary to rumors, dogs and cats do not turn into sissies once they are neutered. Their behavior might change a bit, but for the better. My two dogs are still excellent watchdogs, even though they are neutered. In addition, studies show that neutered animals are healthier and live longer than their unneutered counterparts.
Animals are not our property. We are their guardians, not their owners. In the time it might take you to read this newspaper, the breeding industry will bring 1,000 to 2,000 puppies and kittens into the United States. We should all join Silverstone in bringing an end to this overpopulation nightmare.
WALTER BIBB
VINTON
Confederate flag deserves honor
I AGREE with Leslie Cregar (Jan. 11 letter to the editor, ``What's the problem with the plates?'') regarding the battle over the Sons of Confederate license plates in Maryland.
If we don't voice our beliefs, we are going to have more and more of our rights chipped away. We need to pull together. This is just an example of our rights being denied.
I wrote a letter to a Maryland senator and told him how I felt. I told the senator that I can remember my late uncle placing small Confederate flags on the graves of our ancestors on Decoration Day. They fought and died for the Confederate states.
Let's keep alive the Confederate States of America flag.
DOROTHY STOOTS
GALAX
Don't compare fake oranges with apples
``GARBAGE in, garbage out'' is a well-known concept in the computer world and in research. ``Rush to judgment'' is another potent cliche.
I hope I can avoid both. But your Jan. 15 news article, ``Are children drinking too much juice?'' (excerpted from The New York Times), added immeasurably to the mass of confusing information about lifestyle, especially regarding healthy or unhealthy eating or drinking.
Seeing that headline and reading the message made it far too easy for health-conscious moms to yank grape, orange, grapefruit, apple and pineapple juices out of their children's lunch boxes. After all, who would want her child stunted in growth or obese?
The key clue that the article didn't mean what it seemed to say was in the subheading: ``A new study links growth problems to fruity drinks.'' The word ``fruity'' is the red flag!
Researchers asked parents what their offspring ate over seven days. Unfortunately, seven days is too short an analytic interval. And ``asking'' allows for too much inaccuracy as to what was actually consumed. Most mothers do not differentiate between real (100 percent) natural juices and the processed fruity drinks that have 30 percent or less juice but loads of sugar, flavor enhancers, preservatives and coloring, and are 30 percent to 50 percent cheaper than the pure stuff.
Despite mandated nutrition labels, if you combine lack of knowledge or plain indifference with the bottom line, you can be sure the cheaper jug or juice-pack image - smiling kids' faces and fruit - will wind up in the shopping cart.
While attributing the best intentions and efforts to the investigators, I hope they will re-do their study, accurately identify the products consumed and put the blame where common sense says it belongs: on ``fruity'' man-manipulated drinks, not God-given naturals.
In nutrition, too, ``Garbage in, garbage (illness) out!'' Let's get that fruity garbage out.
ROBERT F. ROTH
WIRTZ
Vietnam veterans are penalized
I WORK for the Roanoke County school system, and recently the county brought into play a plan to give veterans credit for their military time served with step raises - up to two steps for two years' active duty.
During the Vietnam War in 1969, the military had a program that allowed a person to stay in that area for longer than his or her tour of duty, with the option of getting a five-month early out for the extended stay. I took it, with the military promising credit for two full years of active duty.
The military acknowledges my two full years, but the county doesn't since I got out five months early. The county wants to give me only one year of credit.
The county is giving the raises to people who didn't go to Vietnam but safely stayed in the United States. I volunteered for an extra amount of time in Vietnam, but I lose out because of it. Can anything be done about this? Vietnam veterans should get full credit for what we did.
Everyone knows, though no one wants to admit, that the boys who died in that lousy war died for nothing. And since returning, our lot hasn't been given the respect we deserve. While we were being shot at, President Carter allowed amnesty for deserters if they returned from Canada or Denmark.
Believe me, the two-step raises probably only amount to 20 cents on the hour, but there is a principle here for the veterans. Give us our credit.
DENNIS BERUBE
ELLISTON
Remembering that Bloody Sunday
TODAY will mark the 25th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Derry, Ireland. A peaceful demonstration in 1972 was shattered by rifle- and machine-gun fire from a British army airborne regiment. Firing indiscriminately into the crowd, the regiment killed 14 and wounded 26 others.
To date, no one has been disciplined for this mass slaughter of unarmed civilians. The British government hasn't even offered an apology, but the commander of the army unit was decorated for the action by Queen Elizabeth II. Was the medal given for gallantry, bravery, murder?
Recalling the words of an Irish song, ``Another martyr for ole Ireland, another murder for the crown.''
JERRY V. ELLER SR.
SALEM
LENGTH: Long : 147 linesby CNB