Deacon issues apology
for Fletcher church brawl

On behalf of some of Greater Zion’s Deacon board and members, I’d like to first apologize for all of the ungodly actions that some of our members and deacons took part in last Sunday (Jan. 30).

We regret that people made choices to defile God’s house instead of practicing Christianity. We pray that God will forgive us and heal our church.

I feel the majority of our church family is confused and angered because they have been left in the dark about what is going on with the pastor and our church, which is of great interest to everyone, and explanations have not been forthcoming.

The lack of information and protocol has caused confusion, anger and division among family, friends and the majority of the congregation.

We ask everyone who knows the word and power of prayer to pray for our great church that we have greater peace and love at Greater New Zion.

ALFRED YOUNG
Arden

EDITOR’S NOTE: Young serves as deacon of Greater Zion Baptist Church.

Backing of personal over
corporate interests urged

Here is one more example of how corporate personhood is wresting control of our legislative process away from citizens’ needs as well as a suggestion for you.  

Corporate lobbyists hired by Michigan Congressman Fred Upton have been merged into top staff positions on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Upton has partnered with Oklahoma’s climate science denier, Senator James Inhofe, who has avowed “global warming is a hoax”,  to do the lobbyists’ bidding and attack the Clean Air Act and the Food and Drug Administration’s authority to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  

These emissions contribute greatly to health care costs, emergency room visits, hospital admissions and even deaths from asthma and many other life threatening diseases.  In a January, 2011 report, National Health Inventory Survey data reveal that asthma is prevalent among 8 percent of our citizens, more among children, more among people living in poverty and more among most minorities. There is an upward trend in this disorder, which may be significant.  Poverty is a major factor in the reasons why the health of our citizens lags behind that of other countries and there are increasing numbers of North Carolina’s children living below the poverty level.  

Why not show your support for a sustainable North Carolina environment by telling your member of Congress and your senators to stand up for peoples’ interests, as opposed to corporate interests, and to publicly and vigorously defend the Clean Air Act. Please ask them to vote “NO” on any Clean Air Act rollbacks whatsoever and to support the authority of the FDA.

You can reach offices of Congressman Heath Shuler at 828-252-1651, Senator Kay Hagan at 202-224-6342 and Sen. Richard Burr at 828-350-2437

Lewis Patrie, M.D.,
Chair, Western N.C. Physicians for Social Responsibility
Asheville

Don’t exempt any agency
in balancing N.C. budget

The people being paid out of taxpayer funds need to wake up. North Carolina is in debt and can’t keep spending someone else’s money.

We need to reduce our spending by at least 15 percent, and that means every entity that is state-funded.
We can all cite places where we could say should not be cut but where someone else can. This will not work.
The state legislators should just reduce funding for every project and system (yes, including education) by 15 percent and tell them that they have to find a way to operate without harming the core requirements of their departments.

 We don’t have to spend time arguing or debating the value of “our” funding versus “other’s” funding. No one’s budget should be exempted from these cuts, and if the administrators of the various organizations can’t or won’t step up to the task, then they should be replaced with more capable individuals.

Unions should be given a choice in some cases of reducing jobs or reducing pay.

Pensions should all be renegotiated along with other benefits to bring them in line with what the taxpayers can afford.

No more looking to the federal government for bailouts.

Allyn M. Aldrich
Asheville