Vibrant future means all must help pay for it

If drug companies are required to disclose side effects of all prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, similar mandates should apply to elected officials. Campaign promises, in particular, should include disclaimers of their potential harmful side effects.
Promises to reduce taxes and to block tax increases have tremendous curb appeal with voters. That is why candidates capitalize on our gullibility! After they are elected, politicians are obligated to fulfill their “no tax promises” for fear of retribution by financial supporters and voters alike.
We can solve this problem by requiring elected officials to disclose the potential side effects of their no tax increase prescriptions. Like the drugs we take, no tax increase risk factors might include clogged arteries (inferior highways and rapid rail); inadequate brain development (increased class size, unaffordable college tuition); irrational and violent behaviors (reduction in mental health services); muscular weaknesses (closing parks and recreation facilities); vision and hearing difficulties (cutting tourist venues in visual and performing arts). The list goes on and on.
The General Assembly of Virginia is struggling to balance the Commonwealth’s 2011-2012 Budget. Unlike the U.S. government, Virginia is required by law to live within its means. To do so, delegates and senators are drastically cutting essential programs and services to keep the state in the black, and yes, to fulfill “no tax increase” campaign promises. Local officials have similar mandates.
Because voters have swallowed the “no tax increase pill,” we have put unrealistic constraints on our capable elected representatives. They cannot simultaneously fix the budget shortfall and grow the economy without additional sources of temporary revenue. As painful and as unpopular as it may be, I believe we need to increase Virginia’s sales tax by 1 cent with revenue to be distributed equally between local and state governments. Personally, I’m willing to make this small sacrifice in order to provide a vibrant future for the commonwealth, and especially our rural communities.

Rachel Fowlkes
Abingdon, Va.

Pull all tax dollars for tourism, arts initiatives

Re: cuts in arts funding by taxpayers. It’s about time they did this.
If all this art/tourism nonsense is such a great economic investment, why is it after an infusion of millions of tax dollars can’t any of the attractions turn a profit or even pay their bills?
The real industry here is diverting millions of dollars from education, job training, and health care to fund entertainment for the wealthy elite. Let them pay for their own culture.
No more tax dollars for tourism or the arts.
By the way, according to the Virginia Department of Social Services (2010), poverty in Washington County Virginia increased from 1997 to 2007 even before the recent downturn. That’s what tourism/arts development has brought the working poor of this community.

Lewis Loflin
Bristol, Va.

Cameras should stay on during race weekend

I would like to applaud Bluff City, Tenn.’s town manager and its chief of police for taking a stand for justice and what is right. (BMS can’t help fans with a need for speed, A1, March 11.)
For far too long our local leaders have given in to Bristol Motor Speedway and the cock-eyed idea that the economy of the Tri-Cities would collapse, except for two weekends per year. The law is the law 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year. It’s the law for us locals and it’s the law for our guests.
I could go on about the hardships, high prices, bad examples for our children and more the two races bring each year, but I’ll save that for another time.

Don Gross
Bluff City, Tenn.

Pamphlet author needs history, theology education

Thanks you for your report on the outrageous event regarding women’s attire and the misguided person who gave that poor girl the leaflet. I would suggest that if the author of that leaflet has so little faith in man’s ability to control himself that perhaps a better way to react to this “truth” would be that men should be kept in secured facilities so that they do not pose a threat to women in society. If we can’t trust them to behave respectfully and follow the golden rule then....
Women today are better educated, able to support themselves and will not stand for being intimidated and blamed for a man’s inability to treat others with decency and to follow the law. That group authoring this pamphlet needs some serious education on theology and the historical perspective under which the Bible was written.
Thanks for exposing this perspective. I hope you are hearing from lots of ministers who will refute this behavior. Send Keisha Canter my best.

Jennifer Boysko
Herndon, Va.