Opinion Letters
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Can run it better?
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Published: October 16, 2009
Let's say you run a company and someone shows up wanting a job. He says he really doesn't like your company and thinks that it's too big, but he is certain he can run the company better than the people in charge now. He really can't explain exactly how he is going to do that, and he has never shown any ability to run anything like your company at any time in the past, but he says he has good values and that's all that matters.
After you stop laughing, you would have him promptly escorted out and reminded never to come back. That's exactly what voters should do when self-professed conservatives show up wanting to be elected.
KEITH C. STONE
Winston-Salem
Combination
After the recent negative comments, I found the Oct. 7 Winston-Salem Journal interesting, entertaining and distressing. My compliments on combining these three into one edition.
Who is watching HAWS ("More trouble for HAWS)? It's apparent we need a citizens oversight committee here; the appointed board is certainly a failure. Executive Director Larry Woods sounds as if he would blame the missing $2 million on the Bush administration. Now HAWS will get $3.9 million additional tax dollars to use or lose. What a tragic comedy.
Why won't the city let the Journal see revenue estimates for the ballpark ("City releases some stadium documents")? Did I not hear Mayor Allen Joines promise transparency at the city-council meetings? We also seem to be third in line for payment after Prim and the bank.
James Taylor defeated Winston-Salem City Council incumbent Evelyn Terry in a runoff election where 5 percent of the electorate voted ("Terry loses seat in runoff"). I hope Taylor brings fresh ideas and a sense of governance to the city, but shame on the Southeast Ward for only turning out 537 of 10,085 registered voters.
Ted Shipley, also running for city council, in the Southwest Ward, has been characterized as a trial lawyer. This fine young man is not a John Edwards-type of candidate. He is honest, happily married, well-educated and has a sense of community well-being that is desperately needed on the council. Vote for him and then support him. He will listen and understand.
TOM D. JONES
Winston-Salem
Party ignores small businesses
The Democratic Party continues to perpetuate the fallacy that Democratic politicians support -- and work on behalf of -- the American people. Well, the facts paint a different picture in Forsyth County.
The Democratic mayor and Democratic-dominated Winston-Salem City Council have turned over $42 million of taxpayers' money to just two corporations. Yet that giveaway did little, if anything, to help the citizens or our communities, since Dell is expected to close in 90 days, while the other beneficiary of Democratic "generosity," the ballpark, hasn't even begun operations.
If the Democratic Party is all about helping the "little man," why didn't it invest that $42 million in small businesses? Up to 210 small-business owners in Winston-Salem could have been offered a helping hand in these tough economic times through an investment of $200,000 each. A first-year business-school student understands that such an investment in small businesses would instantly create thousands of jobs, in addition to providing capital for infrastructure development and investment protection.
Even if 25 percent of those small businesses were forced to declare bankruptcy or close up shop, the taxpayers wouldn't be left holding the bag.
At the national level, President Obama's new fiscal 2010 budget proposal does not contain any specific funding for -- or mention of -- the Small Business Administration's biggest challenge: the intentional diversion of federal small-business contracts to large corporations. Why not?
It seems that Democrats at all levels of government see no problem in rewarding large corporations while ignoring small businesses.
NATHAN TABOR
CHAIRMAN, FORSYTH COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY
Kernersville
Ideal solution
Now that the Dell plant is closing, the city should consider putting in a casino at that location. A casino would provide revenue locally, would create local jobs and would bring plenty of visitors to this area to spend money. Why not put in a business that's going to help the local economy and has almost zero chance of going away? This would be an ideal solution, since Mayor Allen Joines and the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners love to gamble with our money anyway.
Oh, and when Billy Prim's ballpark becomes a relic because of lack of attendance, we could convert that to a dog track.
SHIRLEY HORTON
Winston-Salem
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