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Cowan’s comment is incorrect
To the Editor:
In reference to the municipal grant applications as reported in the Nov. 19 issue, Commissioner Joe Cowan’s comment is incorrect when he said “Webster doesn’t need anything.” Webster’s town board learned that the needs we have are ineligible under the grant guidelines.
It is unfortunate that Mr. Cowan, who represents our district, did not come before our board to announce the availability of the grants nor advise the town of ways to successfully receive the funds available.
Steve Gray
Mayor of Webster
Senate moves to protect pensions
To the Editor:
In an unusual bi-partisan vote, the Senate voted 97 to 2 on a bill to prop up the Federal Pension Insurance Plan.
In other words they voted to tax you to pay you your pensions when the companies that are holding your pension monies file bankruptcy and the bankruptcy court decides that the pensions do not belong to the workers but to the company. Just think how many people will loose their pensions when GM files bankruptcy.
I wonder why the Congress did not notice this as a problem when they were re-writing the Federal Bankruptcy Law for the benefit of the Banking/Credit Card Industry. I guess the 98 percent of the population below upper middle management just can not make sufficiently large political donations to be worthy of protection.
A pension is part of the employee compensation package, if offered, and as such belongs to the employee. To have failed to recognize this and regulated to protect the citizens is a failure of all three branches of our government.
W.E. Lyons
Cullowhee
Everyone can make choice to work for peace
To the Editor:
I am writing again on behalf of Sylva’s Women in black. As the holidays approach I am filled with the good will and love of the season. I have been looking back over the last year and remembering some of the things that Women in Black are doing.
During the Greening Up the Mountains Festival we participated in the parade. We had a booth and gave away information on how to promote peace in the community, painted peace symbols on faces and sold crafts with a peace theme.
We continue to meet and hold vigil every Wednesday at the bottom of the court house steps from noon to 1 p.m. We stand silently and hold signs. At the end of the hour we sing “Peace is Flowing Like a River.” During the vigils, we receive such encouragement from the community in the forms of honks, passing cars, thumbs up from passengers and words from pedestrians.
We would like to continue to encourage anyone interested in promoting peaceful resolutions to problems in the family, community, national and international level to come out and meet with us. The more we focus our attention to peaceful resolution of problems and join together to move in that direction, the more likely we are to make progress.
We thank everyone who encourages us and is willing to make choices in life that promote peace. We can make a difference if we stand together. During this season, consider making a change in your life that will positively impact you, your family, country and planet.
Rose Smith
Dillsboro
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