Readers' Hotline 3/16/11

Lids on
People in my neighborhood want to complain about dogs getting in their trash. Best thing they need to do if they are going to dump table scraps into the can is to put the lids on the trash cans instead of letting them sit out in the open for every animal to smell and see.

Gravel gripes
I’m calling about the condition of some Galax roads, especially up Hospital Drive up to the hospital. There are more holes in that road than in most Swiss cheese. They have had that huge hole there at the end of Hospital Drive and Valley Street and it has been that way for over a month. It has not been completely repaired. They did have some warm weather. They could have fixed that hole permanently. Conditions also up in Deer Haven Estates. They dumped all this gravel over the winter on the roads up here and these roads are awful. There is gravel everywhere. It needs to be removed. Davis Ridge Road is bad and all the other side roads here in Deer Haven. Please come and remove the gravel from our roads. We are getting it in our yards. It is dinging up our cars.

Different focus
For the person calling the Hotline to say the deputies are doing such a good job on Interstate 77 and they are volunteering their time and it doesn’t take away from the sheriff’s department — no, it doesn’t take away. But, they could spend that same volunteer time watching dope dealers and getting speeders and thieves, because there hasn’t been a significant amount of crimes solved on 77. Dope dealers on 77 are not going to break the speed limit. If you work as a deputy in Carroll County, do it in the county and off I-77. Only thing you are getting over there is speeders and you are trying to do the state troopers’ job. Let’s get the dope out of the county, away from our kids.
Editor’s note: The deputies are off-duty when they volunteer to watch I-77. The sheriff’s department is still covering the rest of the county the same as it always does. And, you’d be surprised how many routine traffic stops — even speeding — result in drug arrests. And, even if a few more speeders are stopped, isn’t that a good thing? State troopers can’t be everywhere. Given the environmental dangers on I-77 through southern Carroll — wind, fog, ice, rockslides, etc. — it would seem slowing down the traffic could save lives.

The last penny
I read in the paper last week about Appalachian Power wanting another rate increase. Are they not making enough millions off the people now? Between Appalachian Power Company and the oil companies, are they trying to see to it that everybody has not one penny to do anything else with? Are they afraid somebody might go out and buy them a Big Mac or something? Why do they need so much? My goodness. Somebody needs to put a stop to it somewhere, somehow.

Generate your own
Appalachian Power is again asking for a rate increase. They are not saying that they are losing money, just that higher production costs have reduced their huge profit somewhat. Let’s not forget what they have done before. They raised rates even before receiving permission to do so and charged more than they were finally allowed to charge us. They issued credits on our bills but sure kept the interest they earned for our forced overpayments. Ten years ago, alternative power such as solar panels and windmills was way too expensive and delivered too little for most people to afford or totally benefit from. That has changed. An entire home package can be installed and power a home for about the same price as a new truck. If the power company is going to be charging me the same amount as truck payments, I am going to own my own home power station.

Milking the system?
This is to all the deadbeat couples that report to social services that they are separated when they are not, just so you can get all the assistance they have to offer. Thanks to people like you, people that really need it can’t get any help at all. Not even so much as food stamps or Medicaid. If this kind of fraud was more closely investigated, the government would see a big savings and maybe people who really need help can get it. You know who you are. Shame on you. Your judgment day is coming.

Can’t get there
I’m calling about the article in Monday’s paper about Devil’s Den. The Devil’s Den is not a cave but a pile of giant boulders. The idea that you could enter Devil’s Den and come out at Lambsburg is ridiculous. I’ve been in Devil’s Den and caves in Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. Caves are made in limestone and there is no limestone in this part of the country.

Bah, humbug
I came through Fries and noticed they had students from out of town cleaning the bank off up above the post office there. I don’t feel that students help should be used in that capacity since we pay good insurance and good salaries for town employees to do it. It doesn’t make sense to me to pay taxes and have some outside help come in and do it. Come on town council, you can do better than that.
Editor’s note: These college students volunteer their time in service projects such as these, to help rural communities and learn more about people in other walks of life. We should be appreciative of their help, as this next caller is.

Looking good
To the students cleaning the embankment coming in to Fries. It looks good. You are doing a great job. It would be nice if some of your energy would rub off on [others].

To serve and protect
Kudos to the Galax Police Department. I was recently attacked by a dog while walking to Oldtown Market, and the Galax police responded really quickly to the call and contacted animal control to make sure this would be taken care of. My hat is off to the Galax Police Department. Each and every one of y’all do a super job. Special thanks to the two officers who responded to my call.

From the Colonel
This again is Col. Romulus K. Beauregard. There is way too much attention paid to LL Cool J and Ice T and not enough attention paid to the Tuskeegee Institute and Booker T. Washington. Too much focus being paid on Hollywood fornication and not enough on the Emancipation Proclamation. I suspect that you too, sir or madam caller, are a Yankee.
Editor’s note: Unlike your previous missive, dear Colonel, this one finds your humble newspaper in a most surprising state of agreement. I admit to some befuddlement as to what has transpired to alter your outlook, but nonetheless am pleased with your improved demeanor.

Asking a lot
In response to the state budget cuts in tough economic times, how hard is the economic crisis actually hitting Grayson County? My eyes must be fooling me when I read, “citizens encouraged to give to Virginia Sheriff’s Institute.” Are you kidding me? Grayson citizens have faced a 44 percent tax increase and the public is asked to give more money? Maybe the sheriff’s department can cut back in some areas. Maybe new guns for the whole department weren’t needed just yet. Maybe new Chargers that won’t go in the snow wasn’t the brightest idea. Maybe wasteful spending in Grayson County needs to be taken into consideration before we are asked to fork out yet more money. I think it is extremely important to protect the lives of our officers and take care of the families of those killed in the line of duty, but shouldn’t financial smarts and fiscal responsibilities [come first]?

No matter the race
In reference to “why come here,” I thank God that He doesn’t look at race, creed or color. He looks at our heart. We are all the same in His eyes. With all the prejudice in the world, what are you going to do when you get to Heaven — if you make it in — where everybody will be there, no matter what race? It is time to see Jesus and not color. God loves everyone. God bless.

Drill, baby, drill
I would like to see Barak Obama, our president, approve some drilling permits off of the Gulf Coast. It is just awful that he is pushing our economy further to the brink and pushing gas prices up. I would like to see America rally around a new president in 2012.

How could they?
In reference to Appalachian Power wanting to raise their prices. How could they possibly think of raising them any more than they have already? They have taken food from our table now to pay the bills. This is ridiculous.

On the line
In response to the caller who thinks the EMTs should be recognized along with the police and fire departments, I wholeheartedly agree that our EMTs and paramedics have become a very important part of our daily lives and it is hard to remember what it was like without them. They save a lot of lives with their ready response. It is nice to know that we have such highly trained and professional people at our ready call, but I have never known of any who have entered a burning building to save a life or one who has made a traffic stop not knowing if a gun was pointed at him or her. The statement that they put their lives on the line is rather extreme when compared to a firefighter or police officer, who could be in the line of fire anytime a call is answered.

HOTLINE EDITING
• Calls are limited to one minute.
• No libelous calls will be printed.
• Comments will be edited for content and good taste.
• Comments must be called in. No written, e-mailed or faxed comments for the Hotline will be accepted.
• No personal “thank-you” calls will be printed. Calls of praise or appreciation for a person, group or company of general public interest will be considered for publication.
• Comments of a general nature regarding the news and issues of the day are encouraged. Comments are not limited to current events.
• Generally, calls making claims that cannot easily be substantiated will not be printed.
• No negative mention of businesses is allowed. Complaints should be taken up with the business.
• The Hotline will not print calls about individual, private workplace issues. Callers should take employment matters up directly with their employers.
• No personal attacks are allowed.
• No comments will be printed regarding neighbor disputes.
• No group or individual is allowed to dominate the column for a particular political or personal agenda.
• Readers’ Hotline will accept no political campaign-related comments. When election time nears, write a letter to the editor. But between elections, callers are allowed to comment on the job the president, governor, mayor, or any elected official is doing.
• The editor will periodically respond to a caller’s comments or question when needed.
• Not all calls will be printed in The Gazette, depending on the volume of calls received and their content.