Letters to the Editor - Sept. 4

The vast majority of us understand and agree that our economic conditions demand a raise in revenue and a decline in spending. In other words, taxes must be increased and spending decreased. Anyone who has a budget plan knows the sense of this approach. If I'm behind on my bills, then my options are to cut spending and increase my income. That's why some people work two jobs if they can.

Congress, instead, demands that more jobs in the public sector be cut, thus throwing more people out of work and putting more people on unemployment. How is this a solution? Stop pandering to the tea partiers and get on with dealing with reality.

Linda Nasuti
Hedgesville, W.Va.


Air Travel Club might meet our leisure travel needs

To the editor:

I would like to address the lack of airline service in Hagerstown.

First of all, I think the dynamics of airline operations today are such that no carrier is going to invest its precious resources in start-up service to our community. The operating margins of airlines are just too thin to warrant such a cash-intensive undertaking.

Secondly, the two large aircraft airlines that have visited Hagerstown in the past couple of years have focused strictly on the leisure market, as evidenced by their destinations and schedules. There appears to be a relatively strong leisure travel market within the valley here, though not so strong that it can support the amount of overhead associated with the once-a-week carriers.

What I think the Cumberland Valley might support is an Air Travel Club, such as is regulated in federal aviation regulations. Such a not-for-profit club would be a members-only organization that either leases or owns a large airplane such as an MD-80, B-737 or Airbus 320 series, and organizes trips for its members. Such a club might have 5,000 members, and organize trips based on the membership interests. It could go to Las Vegas, Florida, Aspen, Cancun or wherever the members might choose.

Depending on the club charter, the technical aspects of the operation, such as flying and maintaining the aircraft, could either be contracted out or managed within.

Not enough room in this forum to discuss the concept fully, but no doubt, someone in the valley has the organizational talent to create a club that would satisfy the leisure travel inclinations of the valley.

Walt Tinkler
Fairplay


Story on bullying was reported in a negative way

To the editor:

In Wednesday's Herald-Mail (Aug. 31), there was a special back to school story about bullying. Under the section "checking the results," the story stated that peers and teachers were "rating" bullying problems. What a negative way of reporting. You make it sound like tattletaling, only worse.

If you had ever experienced the day-to-day harassment from students to the point that you come home in tears and don't want to go to school the next day, then you would choose a different word than rating. It is not rating to report harassment. It is simply a means of defense against such unkind words and actions.

Why is harrassment for an adult treated differently for a child and called bullying? Being poked with pencils, hit in the head with books, tripped in hallways, etc., is plain and simple assault. If it happens to an adult, they have the person arrested, but if it happens to a child, it's just something for them to "get over" or "move on."

Do you want to see more child suicides? Because with the attitude that this word represents, there will certainly be more since they won't report for fear of being labeled a tattletale. A harassed child needs to be able to go to someone for help and not keep it bottled inside until they reach a breaking point, which can end in either Columbine situations or suicide.

I believe The Herald-Mail owes teachers and bullied students an apology.

Vicky Smith
Hagerstown


Intersection changes have created more problems, traffic

To the editor:

Concerning the Dual Highway-Edgewood Drive intersection, Geoff McCammon of the Maryland Sate Highway Administration said the northbound traffic on Edgewood Drive will be prohibited from turning left onto Howell Road because of safety concerns, saying vehicles will have to cross two lanes instead of just one, as in the past. Cars also will have to cross two lanes to get into Hoffman Chevrolet, which involves that same safety concern. Plus, southbound traffic should not be permitted to cross two lanes to get into the Hagerstown Commons shopping center for the same reason.

After tying up traffic on Dual Highway and Edgewood Drive for more than two years and spending millions upon millions of dollars to ease traffic in that area, the SHA has only created more traffic at the intersection and problems for people living on Howell Road, as well as the businesses in that area. Without being able to turn onto Howell Road, traffic will have to turn left onto Dual Highway, then make a left onto Crest View Road, crossing two lanes of heavier, faster moving traffic (much safer?) to get to Howell Road homes and businesses.

A great job of planning, guys.

Robert McConnell
Hagerstown