ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 3, 1995 TAG: 9512050001
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: F-2 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
THE PHONE rang at 1:55 a.m. In the few seconds it took for my wife to answer it, I imagined every crisis that could be imagined. By the time she gave me the phone, I was shaken.
The first words I heard were: ``This is the Salem police.'' My blood pressure continued to rise. The police had discovered an unlocked door at the company facility in Salem, and they would wait for me to come and take care of the problem. I told them it would take me 20 to 25 minutes to drive from Penn Forest to Salem on Virginia 419.
I started the drive to Salem. To add to my anger was the fact that I now had to drive eight miles and confront 13 traffic lights. As I drove, I realized that I had crossed Colonial Avenue, Brambleton Avenue, Oak Grove, Ridgewood Park, Lee Highway, Shenandoah Avenue and Salem Turnpike - never once stopping for a red light.
Arriving at our facility, I met with the police officers, locked the door and began the journey home. Once again, I made the trip, never once having to stop for a single red light.
This experience must not go unnoticed. You have printed letters from readers who complain about the lack of coordination in setting the sequence of lights on Virginia 419. To them, I say, ``balderdash!'' There's no problem with the lights. They operate perfectly.
Start a new work ethic and go early to work. Instead of leaving at 7 a.m. to be in Salem at 8 a.m., leave at 2 a.m. and avoid the red lights.
As I returned to bed, my thoughts weren't on the trauma of the phone call or that the door was unlocked, but the fact that I perhaps did what no man has ever done before.
ARNOLD BAKER
ROANOKE
Building a bigger animals' death row
I AM extremely concerned that the Roanoke Valley Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which professes to be so concerned about four-legged companions, would consider spending $1 million to house more cats and dogs rather than use the money to spay and neuter unaltered pets in the Roanoke Valley.
There wouldn't be a need for a larger facility (Oct. 31 article, ``SPCA to open new shelter'') if we concentrated on spaying and neutering the ones already born. The facts are staggering, and the SPCA could be much more beneficial if it would focus on trying to help control the problem instead of making room for more. One unaltered cat and her offspring produce more than 420,000 kittens in a seven-year period, and one unaltered dog and her offspring produce more than 67,000 puppies in the same time period.
Wake up, and assist organizations that show they care by taking in cats and dogs, having them spayed and neutered, and finding homes for them rather than building larger buildings to house more that will be put to sleep. Stop trying to hide the fact that there aren't enough homes, and begin spaying and neutering so that we can stop tormenting them.
KARLA A. CARROLL
SALEM
Government work is no picnic
IT IS obvious that Caldwell Blair (Nov. 17 letter to the editor, ``Pay, not service, is the bottom line'') is unaware of what it's like to be a federal employee. I've been one for almost 20 years, and it has been a rocky experience. Like many other federal workers, I'm dedicated to my job, but frustrated with ``the powers that be'' because they fail to give the support needed to do an effective job.
We work very hard, but never get caught up. Overtime? Not on your life. Very seldom hear of such a thing.
Customer service is No. 1 with the government worker. Social Security was just ranked No. 1 in the nation for customer service, outranking several large banks and businesses. My job category is 26 percent behind private-sector pay for the same work. This year, there's to be a 2 percent raise in pay, a 12 percent increase in insurance premiums, and a 2 percent increase in mandatory retirement contributions (which were used to pay the interest on the national debt recently). In other words, less spendable income again this year.
Federal workers are your neighbors, friends, relatives - people of the community with families. We need to pay our bills, too. We certainly get no ``special treatment.'' With every national election, our lives change, ensuring that tomorrow will be different from yesterday. I'd like to see the Blairs work under these conditions. It's no picnic!
LINDA M. WARREN
ROANOKE
LENGTH: Medium: 85 linesby CNB