ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 15, 1997 TAG: 9704150033
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
Gordon is the county's shining star
IN RESPONSE to your April 4 news article, ``Roanoke County officials' residence may be election issue'':
Deanna Gordon has served Roanoke County schools for many years as teacher, principal, director, assistant superintendent and now as superintendent. She has gone beyond the call of duty in each job.
I served on the Roanoke County School Board for 12 years and witnessed her hard work, dedication and enthusiasm. It gave me great pride and pleasure to vote for her as superintendent upon Bayse Wilson's retirement, being totally aware of where she lived. (She has lived in the area all her life, and part of that property is in the county.) Had a person outside the system been hired as superintendent, we would have expected him or her to reside in Roanoke County. However, Gordon's situation was different and unique.
The superintendent has no vote on the boards that approve so-called big-spending plans. To make Gordon's place of residency an election issue, as Don Terp has, is ludicrous. With as many problems as we have to work on in our county, it would appear that a candidate could choose a more important one than this. Anyone who suggests that she move, resign or whatever must be waiting for Hale-Bopp to stop.
Gordon is the county's shining star.
BOOTIE CHEWNING
VINTON
Editor's note: Bootie Chewning served on the Roanoke County School Board from 1982-1994.
Computer switch isn't a wise move
IN RESPONSE to Doug Martin's March 17 letter (``Students need to train on IBM" by) regarding the use of IBMs in the school:
It would not be practical for schools to switch to PCs. He says that PCs hold more than 90 percent of the market share in business. This isn't true.
Recent reports from a neutral source, Computer Intelligence, says that Macintosh had 11.2 percent of the business market as of January. If you add this to the other non-PC computers in the business world, then PCs have in the range of 80 percent of the market share.
The business Macintosh market is rising significantly and quickly. In December, it was at 9.5 percent, which was up over November's 7.8 percent. Since November, Macintosh has gained 3.4 percent of the business market (and PCs have dropped that much). We should expect to see the Macintosh business-market share continue to rise. There will also be a great surge next year when Apple releases its new operating system, Rhapsody, and many switch to that new system.
Martin says that students will not be prepared for a college environment if they learn on the Macintoshes. This, too, is incorrect. Most colleges either use Macintosh or Unix OS, neither of which are PC computers, or they have all three.
Teaching our children to use the PC will only hamper their education. They will learn much less, much more slowly. Most students in schools today will probably use a computer more similar to today's Macintosh than Windows 95.
BINGHAM POWELL
ROANOKE
Teen's story may save others' lives
I READ the March 24 news article, ``No simple answers: The story of a teen-ager's abortion.''
I want to thank the young lady who gave The Roanoke Times this story. Lives will be saved because of her willingness to open her heart and feelings to others who wonder whether sex outside the commitment of marriage is really the good idea that the entertainment industry seems to think it is.
The truthfulness expressed in this article touches all who read it. Behold, the absolute beauty of forgiveness!
MARSHALL R. TACKETT
BUCHANAN
Nothing fair about tobacco taxes
IN RESPONSE to your March 17 editorial, ``Making smokers pay for kids' health coverage'':
By raising tobacco taxes, the government's power mongers expect to cut off demand and thereby destroy the tobacco industry. They have now hit upon using adults' love for kids, claiming increased taxes will be earmarked for the health care of poor children.
The fairness of taxes in the United States is largely based on ability to pay and benefits received. What is the smokers' ability to pay as opposed to those who do not smoke? How does he or she benefit from those taxes?
Any thoughtful person will conclude increased tobacco taxes aren't fair. They're really ``fines'' that will mostly disappear into government coffers.
An efficiently administered source of funds for health care for disadvantaged children? Doubtful.
My generation must tell today's power mongers to take a hike.
MIKE GRIFFIN
ROANOKE
The public is in the losers' column
IN YOUR April 2 editorial, ``Virginia's sales-tax winners and losers,'' you specifically mention many exemptions for churches and charitable organizations. But you make no mention of the sales tax on food.
The sales tax on food is the most reprehensible, despicable and unwarranted tax of all. It hits and hurts the most vulnerable - the poor and low-income residents.
The editorial completely overlooked the biggest losers of all - the public!
JOE LIPTON
ROANOKE
`Miss Rosa' was a friend to many
MISS ROSA was loved and will be missed by people who knew and loved him.
To answer James Ratcliffe (March 28 letter to the editor, ```Miss Rosa' was no role model''), Lake bought Girl Scout cookies, and mint was his favorite.
He was also a Big Brother and Big Sister to all who allowed him to be. He pointed me in the right direction, and my life is better because I knew him.
The most important thing he taught me was how to deal with people like Ratcliffe.
When some young men were picking on me, Lake told me people had picked on him all his life, so he would say to himself: ``It's mind over matter. I don't mind because you don't matter.''
Death has a way of cleansing. He wasn't a prostitute, and those 350 people at his funeral were not his customers. He was simply Lake Erie Downing, my friend and a friend to those 350 people.
PAUL MATTHEWS HOLT III
ROANOKE
LENGTH: Long : 125 linesby CNB