New school board
member seeks input

The swearing-in ceremony for recently elected school board members was held on Monday, Dec. 6, at the (Buncombe County) Board of Education’s regular open meeting.

As your new representative on the school board, I would like community input on several issues:

• Do you have suggestions on how to improve weather cancellation procedures?

• In November 2007, Buncombe County School Board endorsed the Intermediate School concept (5th - 6th grade) to address overcrowding. Currently, two intermediate schools are being built in the Roberson and Erwin districts as student populations have grown. In the next five years, an intermediate school may have to be built in the Enka district. Do you have an opinion on how Buncombe County Schools should address overcrowding?

• BCS are proposing cuts in a number of areas to reduce the budget. Do you have any input on how we should go about devising budget reductions?

I feel that it is crucial to get feedback from teachers, parents and the community regarding issues that directly affect you. Please feel free to email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call me at 628-9537 anytime. For more information, visit the BCS website www.http://www.buncombe.k12.nc.us/buncombe/site/default.asp .

Lisa Baldwin
Fairview

Obsession with PC over 4th Amendment draws ire

Is the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) violating our Fourth Amendment rights?

Are the body-scans and pat-downs excessive and unreasonable?  Are these techniques being employed because of our government’s obsession with political correctness?

The Fourth Amendment protects us against unreasonable searches and seizures without probably cause. Samuel Alito (now Supreme Court judge) who served on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, ruled that screening methods were legal as long as they were minimally invasive and effective. 

Consider this:  If the scans and pat-downs are not effective in detecting the bomb-making materials, why are we turning Americans into criminals by virtue of purchasing a plane ticket?

What happens when a terrorist conceals bomb material in a body cavity and evades the scans and pat downs? Why do we not employ the same techniques as the Israelis who employ effective profiling methods?  Has our government suspended our Fourth Amendment rights because of political correctness?

We all want to be safe on a plane. But, why do we allow faceless bureaucrats, not elected by us and without Congressional oversight, to trample upon our Fourth Amendment rights instead of going after the real enemy — which is  the federal government’s responsibility. To be sure, these queries will come before the Supreme Court. 

In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”   

Jane Bilello
Chairman
Asheville Tea Party
Hendersonville