Readers' Hotline 2/22/12

Paying at the pump
Thank you Mr. Obama and the rest of you Democrats for keeping gas at an all-time “low price.” Oh, goody.
Editor’s note: The free market determines the cost of gasoline as a commodity. It is not set by the government, although policies may have some indirect bearing.

Healthy promotion
I agree with the call regarding healthy snacks. Schools also need to promote healthy eating and snacks, especially when there are parties at school. Their school lunches should be healthier, as well.

Values and guidelines
I recommend to all fathers that they watch the movie, “Courageous.” It gives good Christian values and guidelines for the way fathers should treat their families, including showing no partiality between your children and grandchildren, taking time for your family and accepting children and family as they are. I am so tired of people hiding behind their church attendance, pretending to be so goody-goody and then at home treating their families so unfairly. You are not fooling anyone, especially God.

In a hurry
On Monday, Feb. 13, there was a fight in progress at the Galax Recreation Center in Felts Park. It was 8 p.m. and people were coming out of Vaughan-Bassett on break. A white pickup was coming by Vaughan-Bassett and almost ran over one person. He had no lights flashing on the truck at all. Must the police [endanger] people to get to a fight? They have no respect for civilians.

Democratic republic
Seems like the editor’s note straightened out the letter writer on the Feb. 13 editorial page. However, it failed to tell that the U.S. is not a democracy. We are a democratic republic. A democracy is run by mob rule — and that, we are not. Some want to blame the Republicans, but don’t know what they are talking about.

Different approach
Everyone knows that the Grayson County trash fee should be illegal because of the way it is collected. The new supervisors have the right idea. Many citizens will be behind them. Another way to save money is to get rid of [the county administrator’s salary]. I know many well-educated people that would take the job for half the price.

Take control
About the school lunches: parents need to realize that obesity starts at home. What do you blame your child’s habits on for the first five years of their life before they go in to a public school where lunches are? They only feed your child once a day. What does your child eat when he gets home? Maybe you need to change his eating habits. Let’s just eat a sandwich. Parents’ rights are to cook a healthy meal for their child and then their child won’t be as hungry at the end of the day and maybe he won’t eat as much junk food. School menus are USDA approved. They are fixed by a dietician. You need to call someone else instead of the Hotline — someone who can do something about it and you need to get your doctor to put your child on a strict diet and send that diet to the school and then the school will have to feed your child fresh fruit. You have to take control yourself instead of saying “my child’s fat and it’s that school’s problem.”

Chiming in
I just wondered why the editor’s notes always chime in on letters or calls about a subject but never seem to question the opinion piece that is submitted by Rep. Griffith every week. Case in point, he seems so gung ho about the Keystone XL Pipeline and claims if we don’t do it, all this oil from the tar sands of Canada is going to go to China. I hate to tell the representative that this oil he is so worried about is already being exported.
Editor’s note: That may not be a good example to cite — The Gazette does not publish regular columns from Rep. Griffith or any other political officeholders, so there have been no such related notes in response. As for the pipeline, mainstream media have widely reported that the U.S. rejection may prompt Canada to turn to exporting oil to China. Said the chief economist of the International Energy Agency: “I am sure that if the oil sands production is not used in the United States, they will be used in other countries.”

Support the locals
This is for “hard to buy locally.” Have you done any research on this? If you go to Food City they buy [some] produce locally. Just so you know. Horton’s is also a locally-owned store and so is Oldtown Market. Why couldn’t you use any of those? Food City has everything you could possibly need and guess what, you said you can’t find anywhere you can save on gas, well, guess what. You can at Food City and Kroger. You can go to the Shell station and save money there too with the Kroger card. You don’t have to go to Mount Airy. You need to figure out what you are doing. Do some research. We have plenty of local stuff here and people should support our local economy.

Fan mail
I agree about Judith Burnette being a good radio announcer. She is really good and plays good gospel music and country music. All of the announcers are good. We listen to the Galax stations all the time. Please keep up the good work, Judith. Wish you were on in the daytime.

Leadership? Please.
Whoever thought George Bush did a good job needs their head examined. He destroyed this country giving the rich millionaires 10 years of tax breaks that fell on the backs of the middle class. They want to put something back in there like that? It will take us years to get out of this mess. Saying he had a good leadership? Please.
Editor’s note: While President George Bush supported tax breaks that are still in effect, he alone did not put them in place. It required majority votes by the U.S. House and Senate to establish the tax breaks, which continue to benefit all income levels. We found a 2011 analysis by Phoenix Marketing International reported by CNBC that shows that 5 percent of U.S. households have millionaire status.

Anytime we want
This is in response to “vote or keep quiet.” It said that people who didn’t register or vote have no reason to open their mouth and should keep it shut. This is the United States of America and we do have freedom of speech so we can say what we want, anytime we want to, whether we vote or we don’t vote. You are the one that needs to keep your mouth shut.

Exposed
I am a concerned parent of a student who attends a school where one of the cafeteria workers lets both her kids go in and out of the cafeteria and get whatever they want to eat. She brings out special stuff to them and all the other kids don’t get to be treated that way. I didn’t think those kids were supposed to be in the cafeteria during class. It needs to be stopped.

Impeach who?
That comment in the Hotline is hilarious. Impeach Obama, after what our wonderful governor did — choosing to close the Southwest Virginia Training Center and cutting from the schools and things that we really need here.
Editor’s note: Though Virginia has long been moving towards a community care model for residents who might otherwise live in training centers, you could date the origins of the sweeping changes now going on to the federal Department of Justice investigation into the Central Virginia Training Center in 2008. Based on a Supreme Court ruling and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the investigation was expanded to all five training centers. State officials ended up negotiating a settlement with the Department of Justice that included slashing the number of training center beds to 75 and completely closing four of the facilities through 2020.

It’s private
I see all the articles in the paper about the Allen shootings and 100th anniversary and all this stuff about the courthouse. Made me wonder why the Sidna Allen House is sitting in Fancy Gap just running down and nobody will do anything with it. Wonder why the county doesn’t fix it up and maintain it and use it for a tourist attraction. The Carroll County supervisors always seem to be worried about tourists and tourism. It’s a beautiful place but sitting there going to the dogs.
Editor’s note: The Sidna Allen home is in private hands at this time. There have been community efforts to make it more of attraction, but nothing has come to fruition yet.