Many are waiting
for real solutionsThe Salisbury Post is always a pleasure to read. But it was especially enlightening yesterday (Feb. 19) and today. Yesterday, Cal Thomas encouraged his fellow conservatives to recognize that Ronald Reagan is gone and present day problems will need to be solved with conservative solutions from people here now.
In yesterday’s edition, Linda Beck, a friend of my wife and I for several years, told a moving story about her 52-year-old brother, Michael, who recently suffered a severe stroke. This story was in the same newspaper where Cal Thomas mentioned the problem of universal health insurance. Michael has no health insurance, has been laid off, his unemployment compensation has expired, and he has been unable to find adequate work. Ultimately he was stricken with a debilitating stroke. It is easy for someone to “fall through the cracks” in Michael’s situation. Now that he has hit bottom, our health care system is likely available to him through governmental programs like Medicaid and Medicare. We have all heard that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” That’s exactly what we have here.
The cost of the care, and hopefully the cure, for Michael will now be far more than the cost that was likely needed to prevent his stroke. Once people hit bottom, we can help them. That is nice, but what a waste if we can prevent it!
Thomas is correct. We need solutions to problems like this. In today’s newspaper, Leonard Pitts, a liberal writer, chides conservatives for wanting solutions but acting too slowly. If conservatives want to win the upcoming elections, they need to heed the advice of one of their own. Find solutions to problems such as the health care crisis and present them to the voters. Wishing for more of Ronald Reagan is not a winning strategy.
ó James A. Huyck
Salisbury
War costs draining nation’s resourcesI am frightened of the future of our economy. We have all seen the evidence of a looming recession. We see people losing their homes because of the subprime meltdown. Gas prices are high, food is expensive, and the general cost of living is going up and up. Unemployment is high, and the unemployed often have no health insurance.
Times are becoming hard. But look at who is prospering by the billions. Halliburton and Blackwater are raking it in. The war in Iraq is costing this country $338 million every day. Wouldn’t it be a godsend if that money were spent at home instead? We could have health care for children, affordable housing for all, scholarships to pay for education and services to benefit all of us.
Our occupation in Iraq is bleeding our resources dry, and we need that money to invest in our own economy.
ó Diane Williams
Gold Hill
County already has manager candidateI think the county commissioners have answered their own question about who would be the best candidate for county manager.
In a (Feb. 21) article in the Post, Arnold Chamberlain, chairman of the Rowan County Commission, stated, “Leslie Heidrick is doing one whale of a job.”
Now, I don’t know Leslie Heidrick, have never seen her or spoken to her, but I personally believe in promoting from within. Therefore, if Chairman Chamberlain and the others on the board feel so lucky to have her and believe that she’s doing a good job after suddenly finding herself thrown into a new role ó which includes “having to deal with me,” remarked Chamberlain ó I believe that the county should give Ms. Heidrick a chance as the true county manager.
You would be promoting from within (county government) and you would be promoting a woman to one of the highest positions in the county.
I’m interested to see what action the commissioners take regarding filling the county manager position. According to comments from the commissioners, they have the best candidate right under their noses, so let’s see how they act upon it.
ó David Rodgers
China Grove