Financial Control

A Must For Regulation

In response to Rodney K. Ward's attempt to canonize President Ronald Reagan (April 30), his letter should be checked for facts and -foolishness.

Trickle-down economy has never worked and never will. The trickle stops at the bank accounts of the wealthy and serves mainly to enlarge the gap between the richest and the poorest.

Reagan is to be credited with building up our defenses by outspending the USSR.

In a compilation of national debt incurred by parties in power during a 60-year span, Democrats averaged 3.2 percent per year while Republicans averaged 4.2 percent per year.

Clinton did not squander Reagan's gain. He raised the debt only 4.3 -percent and brought spending under control and debt growth to near zero. Since then the neo-conservatives have demonstrated that they cannot or will not control spending.

Ward used the familiar scare tactic of "socialism" instead of the -"pluralism" that most Americans appear to want.

I am a centrist who believes that strong financial control is necessary to regulate the casino that is Wall Street.

David F. Weigel

Southern Pines

He Missed the Point

In Jonathon Scott's letter "Tea Partier's Day" (April 16), he either missed the message or is unable to grasp it.

The tea partiers never implied that the government has no role to play in our lives, i.e., the government and its responsibilities are clearly defined in our Constitution. We believe, however, that it is not the government's job to promote a -radical domestic agenda that increases the size of government and creates massive deficit and debt that our children and grandchildren will be saddled with.

Scott implies that tea partiers, many who faced bullets and bombs to protect Americans' and the world's freedoms, are anarchists. This is profoundly offensive to those who value our First Amendment "right of the people to assemble peaceably, and to petition the -government for a redress of -grievances."

Apparently, Scott is ignorant with this constitutional -provision. Perhaps he should -familiarize -himself with our Constitution before he denigrates or lectures tea partiers.

It's not the government's job to own 96 percent of all home loans, to take control of the automobile -companies, to control the banks, to ram health care down our throats, redistribute wealth and tell the Americans "I think at a certain point you've made enough money," etc. Obviously Scott disagrees, which, thanks to our Constitution, he has every right to do, at least for now.

Tea partiers believe it is every -citizen's duty to guard jealously our God-given rights and privileges, guaranteed by our Constitution, and for which our forebears fought so hard to secure. We have an obligation to preserve them for future -generations. We have found our voice and we will use it.

Bernadine Olsen

Foxfire Village

Lost or Found a Pet?

A big thank you to The Pilot for providing all those who love animals with a new tool to expedite the -notification of a lost or found pet.

The Pet Page on The Pilot's website (www.thepilot.com/news/pets) allows anyone who finds or loses a pet to complete a form helping to identify the pet and include a -picture, if available. This resource is available 24/7. After clicking the submit button, the information will then flow to The Pilot's new pet Web page, generate a free lost-and found ad, notify the local participating animal groups, participating veterinarians, Animal Control Officers, the staff at the Moore County Animal Center and anyone who would like to be part of a growing database.

This program is just getting off the ground, and already we have reunited at least two pets with their owners. Please help us get the word out to all members of the community and check out The Pilot's website.

Once again, thanks to The Pilot, which is always ready to help the citizens of Moore County. We are truly fortunate to have this paper in our community.

Pamela Partis

Southern Pines