Winston-Salem Journal LTE FR 01/13/12

Elected officials

The writer of the Jan. 9 letter "A small percentage" is upset that we're paying someone to plan our sidewalks and bike lanes.

He doesn't like that a minority of people use these and essentially claims that the planner and those who hired him are "a small group of insiders" who "are running an expensive program to fit their vision of what the city needs." He says such practices lead to "inconvenience and expense for the majority of the people."

Frankly, in the budget of a city the size of Winston-Salem, the $47,000 salary he objects to is chicken feed.

And "a small group of insiders"? That must mean the officials we elected to represent us and our interests.

I want our leaders to have vision. I'm a grown-up, and I don't expect to like every decision they make or to use every service my taxes pay for, but I expect our leaders to know more than I, and I expect them to love Winston-Salem and want to make it a better place.

If the letter writer doesn't like a department, fine, nobody says he has to. But to object on the basis that he didn't vote for it is an unreasonable and immature complaint. Personally, I don't have time to vote on every little policy and hiring decision the city makes. That's asking for "inconvenience and expense for the majority of the people."

---

JAMES T. FULLER

Winston-Salem

Sectarian beliefs

As I began reading the story "New hope for character education" (Jan. 7), I tried to keep an open mind. After all, not every religious person is crazy, and not every church concentrates on "you're all going to hell." I understand that some children have a difficult time in school and could use both some personal attention and some ideas about their own worth and personal values.

But former Wiley Middle School principal Ed Weiss tipped his hand in your story when he described the previous incarnation of the program as "part Scripture" and said the program was "Trying to bring the Lord into their life a little bit."

Teaching values — which people of all religions and no religion have — is one thing. Indoctrinating children into religious belief is another. I realize that parents give permission for their children to attend the program, but I would not be surprised if they did not understand the implications — if they were only told that this would be a harmless practice to teach their children to behave better. Nobody associated with the program is going to explain to parents that it involves sectarian beliefs and practices with which they might disagree.

If these parents wanted their children to have "church teaching," they could take them to church.

I predict the program will be challenged. I predict it will fail — as it should.

---

MACK FERGUSON

Winston-Salem

Stingy attitude

I don't ride bicycles, but it doesn't bother me that other people do. It doesn't bother me, when I'm driving, to slow down a bit and pass them carefully. The world doesn't have to revolve around me.

I am so sick of this selfish, stingy attitude exemplified by the letter "A small percentage" (Jan. 9) that says we should have no shared resources, nothing of note, nothing advanced or progressive except for whatever bland things the majority wants.

I want to live in a good city, one that is recognizable and different from Greenville, Rocky Mount or Kinston. I want to live in a city that is vibrant and alive, a city that enriches me, with interesting things to see and do, with public space for music and arts, a city with people who are not stamped out of some cookie cutter but who have individuality. I want to live in a city whose citizens support it and make it exceptional.

We need bike paths and greenways, we need a new library, and we need more public art. This is a wonderful place, but it needs to be developed — by people with vision — or it'll just be a stink hole.

Whatever happened to civic pride?

---

RICKY S. PHILLIPS

Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem Journal LTE TH 01/12/12

Transportation opportunities

The writer of the Jan. 9 letter "A small percentage" wrote that the creation of bike paths is an "inconvenience and expense for the majority of the people." I beg to differ. Our community owes everyone equal transportation opportunities, no exceptions.

Many bike for pleasure, but others bike because it's the only transportation they can afford. Cars are pricey (maintenance, gas, insurance). Conservative estimates are that we spend as much on transportation as we do on housing (30-33 percent each). The 2009 median household income in Forsyth County was $45,769, which means that a typical household spends about $14,188 per year on cars.

As gasoline prices rise, many look for alternatives. Bikes are cheaper and greener and allow us to burn a few calories, important when most of us are overweight. I recently became disabled. Now I notice things I never did before, like limited sidewalks and speed bumps everywhere. What about the handicapped person? As a minority user, guess they're out of luck. This is wrong. We owe every user a safe and accessible means of transportation.

Those who drive will rarely use a bike path. They need and get roads. Bikers need paths, which we must supply. Most of the money for these comes from the feds, money that we're due. I paid into that money and I want it back, especially when it makes my home better and my community the best it can be.

---

GLYNIS A. JORDAN

Winston-Salem

Setting limits

I was pleased to read your Dec. 16 article "Chimps get reprieve," where the government is finally setting limits on the use of animals for research. There have been alternative methods for medical research in place for years that are actually more effective than using animals.

This barbaric practice of torturing animals in the name of medical progress has been eliminated in many universities and hospitals because of alternative means of research that don't include the maiming of primates. Some chimps never recover from the abuse suffered by research.

Unfortunately, Wake Forest Baptist Hospital has not been one of the innovators in the forefront of those that have phased out their primate centers. Perhaps now that there will be a ban on using chimpanzees in medical research, Wake Forest Baptist Hospital can no longer justify invasive medical research. Maybe now it will be forced to close its primate center — something that should have been done long ago.

---

POLLY McCLENDON

Winston-Salem

Sum It Up

The Sum It Up question from Sunday was: Has Gov. Bev Perdue been effective in creating jobs?

* * * * *

Given the obstinate/obstructionist nature of today's N.C. General Assembly, including some of the unconscionable legislation sent to Gov. Perdue, I am amazed at her positive spirit and energy in terms of job recruitment.

Just think where our state would be if there were cooperation between our governor and General Assembly. Just think of the difference there would be if the Republican majority of representatives and senators actually cared about the welfare of those who elected them.

---

ANNE GRIFFIS WILSON

* * * * *

No politician can create jobs, despite what they promise. All they can create is a more favorable and positive economic environment so that the 90 percent of the people who do have jobs are willing to buy more goods and services, because the makers and sellers of goods and services are the only organizations that can create jobs.

We can't borrow our way out of a recession, we have to buy our way out.

---

HERBERT OSMON

* * * * *

I don't remember any other governor sending out emails, or any other type of communication, to the public reporting about their activities. She has been successful in many of her efforts to bring more jobs to our state.

---

CATHERINE W. PITTS

Winston-Salem Journal LTE WE 01/11/12

Sharing

One can argue the costs and benefits of building bike lanes in the city ("Planner plots city path to better bike travel," Jan. 2. However, if we could all learn to safely share the roads, bike lanes would not be needed, nor even desired.

---

BRUCE HERMANN

Winston-Salem

Good moral behavior

I have one word to say regarding the Rev. Seth O. Lartey, who is hoping to revive and expand a program between churches and public schools: Amen! I give credit and support to the pastor for wanting to partner with Triad schools to give character education to at-risk students in our public schools ("New hope for character education," Jan. 7).

To me, this is a way of getting back to the basics and teaching children that they need to learn how to live their lives with good moral behavior and values. Today, this simple fact is being overlooked by kids and parents alike. Morality and our value system are in a sad state, and this program can be instrumental in bringing it back.

It does not matter which religion one is from and/or practicing; as long as the overall message is the same. Good values are important and can guide students to healthy living while giving them a chance for success. I applaud Lartey and hope this program comes to fruition.

---

ELISSA BRANNAN

Lexington

Proud of Occupiers

Contrary to Virginia Underhill's comments in the Jan. 7 Scorecard ("Iowa, occupiers and education"), I am very proud of our citizens who participate in demonstrations bringing attention to the Gilded Age activities of our super-rich 1 percent, buying influence in all branches of government. They are freezing out there to highlight this sellout.

Her Scorecard comment: "I certainly believe in free speech and the right of assembly, but I do resent my taxes being designated to paying for free camping vacations for the 99%. These groups who camp on city properties generate the need for food, water and shelter, but the effluvia generated by these citizens must be massive. ...This group of protestors might also be required to donate several hours a week toward clean-up chores causing little disruption in our city's progressive enterprises."

Obviously she "knows not of what she speaks." Had she at any time met with the Occupy Winston-Salem group, she would not be so mistaken in her opinions. Hinting that the group requires city support for food, water and tents for its "camping vacation" shows her ignorance of its complete regard of public property, and its fundamental reasons for demonstrating.

Her degrading comments reveal her to be one of the 1 percent, if not actuarially certainly in her attitudes.

---

MARTHA KENNEDY

Winston-Salem

Propane association response

Your recent article "Propane violators rarely face state fines" (Dec. 30) regarding unlevied fines certainly raised important concerns. However, it also highlights the fact that the Agriculture Department's efforts at educating violators is very successful. The article points out that "nearly 10 percent … were repeat violations." This is encouraging since it means that more than 90 percent were not repeat violations.

The North Carolina Propane Gas Association and our member dealers are committed to the safe storage, transportation and use of propane; the industry should not be demonized because of the actions of a few. Propane dealers are local business owners who are part of their communities and safety is of primary concern to them. They pay taxes that support our local governments and education. They employ thousands of North Carolinians and support local civic causes.

As with any combustible fuel we use to power our homes, vehicles and equipment, propane must be handled with the proper respect. In fact, propane dealers in N.C. safely dispense over 500 million gallons of propane every year. Nearly 5 million U.S. households safely rely on propane for home heating, and 3 million use propane for residential water heating. The propane industry turns 100 years old in 2012 and is a mature industry with a stellar safety record.

North Carolina's propane dealers will strive to continue that record of safety through education and awareness. We look forward to supporting the efforts of the Agriculture Department in continuing and improving the safety of our industry.

---

JOHN JESSUP

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

NORTH CAROLINA PROPANE GAS ASSOCIATION

Raleigh

Winston-Salem Journal LTE TU 01/10/12

Insightful picture

I read the Jan. 3 letter "Intelligent columnists" with great interest and alarm. Like Naomi Davis, I do not want the Journal to drop Thomas Friedman, David Brooks or Paul Krugman columns from the paper. Those three gentlemen give us an insightful picture of what is happening in the world and our country.

As a majority reader of one, I am requesting that this particular trio stay in the paper along with Cal Thomas, George Will and John Hood — please .

---

DAN STRAKA

Advance

Informed opinions

"Say it isn't so." Tell me you're not going to discontinue the columns of my favorite columnists, Thomas Friedman and Paul Krugman. The policy of the U.S. government affects our daily lives, yet you could deprive us of these writers' erudite and informed opinions?

You devote an entire section of your newspaper to sports every day, plus often an extra section. Where are your values?

This country's welfare and a well-informed public are more important than sports.

---

MILDRED H. MEYER

Kernersville

Makes sense

Please, please do not remove Thomas Friedman's column from the Journal! He makes more sense than all the other columnists combined. He would be a good candidate for president.

If you want to save money, who don't you delete Lio and some other equally stupid comic strips?

---

EVALYN CUNINGHAM

Winston-Salem

Calendar change

Companies and organizations keep asking me to save paper and expenses by paying my bills online. I don't have and can't afford a computer, so I suggest, to save paper and operate more efficiently, we should change our year to 13 months of four weeks per month. Every month would be 28 days. That means our calendars would last forever.

We wouldn't need to get new calendars every year and each holiday would be on the same day of the month every year.

Who was it who made some months 28 days, some 30 and some 31? And why are we so stupid as to accept this incongruity?

Wake up! Start thinking, do something right for once. Let everyone have a vacation on the 165th day of the year.

---

GORDON MELLISH

Clemmons

Winston-Salem Journal LTE MO 01/09/12

A new party

If I could, I would start a new political party named Demrep or Repdem. This party would see to the needs of all people, not just those who support their party lines.

We pay the salaries and everything else of those in office. They should support us , the people.

---

JERE DAILEY

Advance

Stimulus plans

The ongoing debate as to the efficacy of stimulus plans brings to mind the Marshall Plan. After World War II, Europe was devastated. There was high unemployment (something like us), badly damaged infrastructure, a crippled industrial base, and the economy and agriculture at a fraction of pre-World War II levels. As it turned out, through the Marshall Plan the recovery of Europe was greatly accelerated. Europe became our best customers. Much of the stimulus was returned to the United States through the purchase of food, manufactured goods and raw materials (something like the return of stimulus money by the banks).

Incidentally, the two strong proponents of the plan were former President Herbert Hoover (Hoover Commission) and president-to-be Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Sounds like bipartisanship.

---

WILLIAM McKENNA

Clemmons

Abundance of fossil fuels

I never realized how misinformed I was. Columnist George Will ("Ringing in a conservative year," Jan. 2) makes the case that instead of running out of oil, as informed sources have said for years, we are actually facing "the specter of abundance."

"Imagine what a horror 2011 was for progressives as Americans began to comprehend their stunning abundance of fossil fuels ..." He continues that due to this "abundance" the Environmental Protection Agency, environmentalists, climate change, the Energy Department and the Chevy Volt are essentially unneeded intrusions by progressives bent on rationing. Need more proof? He cites a Wall Street Journal headline: "Americans Embrace SUVs Again."

The cause of all of this optimism? Will notes that "In 2011, for the first time in 62 years, America was a net exporter of petroleum products." A sigh of relief; why did it take us so long? I reread that sentence and stumbled over the unusual term "net exporter of petroleum products." So I did some research. That "net exporter" includes only oil that has been refined into a finished product. We did export more refined product than we imported mostly because of world demand for heating oil and diesel fuel (both recently reached record high prices, because of shortage). What Will fails to say is the net exports of refined petroleum products are dwarfed by our huge negative trade imbalance in crude oil, the stuff from which petroleum products are made.

---

BRUCE GREEN

Clemmons

A small percentage

I am writing in reference to your story about Matthew Burczyk, who is in charge of creating bike lanes in Winston-Salem ("Planner plots city path to better bike travel," Jan. 2). The city is paying him $47,000 a year, a very nice salary in today's economy, to take land for the lanes, which will result in people losing parking in front of their homes. Sometimes this is the only parking they have. If the city is using eminent-domain to acquire the land, that is an added expense.

And for what? To create lanes for bike riders, a rather small percentage of the city's population.

Economist Thomas Sowell has used the term "vision of the anointed" for situations like this. A small group of insiders are running an expensive program to fit their vision of what the city needs. They always come up with reasons that sound good on the surface, but never put it to a vote of the people. In the process, they are creating inconvenience and expense for the majority of the people.

If one is looking for a place to cut money on government spending, the bike-path program would be a good place to start. I am not in favor of people losing their jobs. Move the people involved into needed productive work that is equal to their pay.

---

WENDELL L. SCHOLLANDER

Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem Journal LTE SU 01/08/12

Recent events

About the Dec. 27 Larry Wright cartoon depicting North Koreans wailing with the caption, "I wonder if I'm the group wailing over the death of ruler Kim Jong Il or the group wailing over the life of ruler son Kim Jong Un:" The appropriate answer is neither. The North Koreans are wailing over the harsh and brutal lives they had under the dictator and more of the same to come under the "Great Successor."

When I saw some news clips showing the North Koreans crying their hearts out in the public places, I thought these were the most hilarious public performance. They had to fake their sorrow in public or they would be branded as harboring hostility and disloyalty toward the revolution.

I recall reading reminiscences in the Hong Kong press about the same scene appearing in China when Chairman Mao passed away. In their hearts, they wanted to pop champagne and dance.

Columnist George Will rails against progressives for attempting "to impede development of the vast proven reserves of natural gas and oil here and in Canada" ("Ringing in a conservative year," Jan. 2). I just wonder whether Will would trade his residence for one year with a resident in Pennsylvania, where "fracking" for natural gas is going on. One man when he turns the faucet on can set the running water on fire. The water smells and tastes like natural gas. I am sure Will wouldn't mind a bit, right?

---

BOON T. LEE

Winston-Salem

Patriotism

While picking up two large bags of trash along a secondary highway, as well as a vinyl window frame and three empty bags of deer corn, I wondered who would throw trash out of or off a vehicle. Are they citizens of this country, state and community? Would they refuse to pledge the U.S. flag as well? Would they believe themselves to be responsible citizens who respect the freedoms of this country? How do they honor U.S. citizenship?

After decades of promoting "Don't Be a Litter Bug," "Earth Day" celebrations and "How to Go Green" instructions, what else is needed?

Much has been written and assumed about patriotism and the actions reflecting a citizen's allegiance to this country. Certainly citizens who serve in the military offer their lives to protect our freedoms.

Flag-waving, pledging allegiance, July 4th picnics and fireworks and debates over prayer in public places pale to the day-in and day-out evidence of patriotism such as:

Making an effort to know the neighbor who is unlike you; volunteering in a public school or mentoring an at-risk high-school dropout; committing to elderly citizens as someone they can call upon; actively listening to both sides of an issue; choosing a new healthy habit (exercise); participating in a community organization to share one's talents and skills to expand community-building relationships; and, of course, disposing of trash in the appropriate, most-green manner.

---

NANCY VARGAS

Winston-Salem

A close read

Regarding your editorial "Gun Study: Common sense says limit concealed-carry" (Dec. 30), you made reference to The New York Times having examined North Carolina's concealed-gun permit, and despite of the use of the words "common sense" in your title, none seemed to have been used.

You were trying to use this information in support of a ban on concealed-carry weapons in public parks, and you cited three cases of crimes committed by individuals with concealed-carry permits. But none of these three events, as horrible as they were, occurred in a park.

You are being rather disingenuous in trying to make your case. Your reference to The New York Times was the first clue that a close read was necessary.

---

JERRY A. WATERS

Winston-Salem

Sum It Up

Has Gov. Bev Perdue been effective in creating jobs? Respond to letters@wsjournal.comand put "Sum It Up" in the subject header.

The Leopard's Lair SU 01/08/12

Good evening, folks! Welcome back to Bob! I tried to post a few news items, but the site would not accept formatting from the iPad, so a quick summary: candidate Huntsman says the big Wall St banks are a major threat. This was in an opinion piece by Huntsman. For those of you who become moist at the mention of OWS, those this align with their stand? Elsewhere, the administration quietly released news on FR that unions received over 80% of exemptions from HCR that were granted since June, when exemption rules were supposedly tightened. Apparently, Orwell's Animal Farm thrives, with union card carriers more equal than others. These more equal types are also part of the downtrodden 99%, right? I suggest OWS might wish to visit Solidarity House. Yeah, I know: that'll never happen.