ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 16, 1996 TAG: 9602160073
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
IN RESPONSE to Margaret Edds' well-written article on Feb. 7, ``Tax measure may backfire,'' I must say the following:
I own a service business and, as of today, not one dollar of my gross receipts has been the result of service work in Virginia. The only work this company has conducted within Virginia is my speaking with customers and employees on the telephone, and generating contracts and invoices. And even though $110,000 of my 1995 gross-sales total was for out-of-state subcontractors, I'm taxed on the full dollar amount.
I've paid my business, professional and occupational-license tax, which entitles me to nothing. I can't even display the city decal showing that I've paid my BPOL tax, because I'm a home-based business.
I give each employee full company-paid medical benefits. My reward is BPOL. I've paid more than $12,000 in liability and workman's compensation insurances, $175,000 in wages and $60,000 in travel expenses. My reward is BPOL.
There has to be a better way.
Instead of totally abolishing the BPOL, which would cause huge deficits in local budgets, why couldn't Virginia adjust the taxing structure, charging businesses according to our federal or state tax returns, or at the very least allowing us to deduct our major expenses (wages, insurances, federal and state taxes, etc.) from our gross sales. Any projected loss in revenues would be largely recouped through each locality's ability to tax all businesses fairly, including software companies.
Of course, since my company is a home-based business, I have a luxury that many larger or community-based businesses do not. I can relocate my business to an area that doesn't have BPOL.
CATHERINE L. JOHNSON-WITTE
President, Star Mountain
Graphic Arts Machinists, Inc.
ROANOKE
The Clintons are being harassed
THE WOLF pack - snapping, yapping and closing in for the kill, led by Sen. Alfonse D'Amato with fellow Republicans joining in - is out to get the Clintons. You might say it's also a witch hunt, as Republicans have been digging into the Whitewater affair for nearly three years.
Now, suddenly some documents have appeared. Do you wonder as I do why, if they were damaging, the Clintons didn't shred them, as Oliver North did, and get by with doing so? And the Republicans had the guts to run North for the Senate.
Now the pack, going after President Clinton, has dug up the old story of Paula Jones allegedly being harassed by Clinton in 1991. Why didn't she bring suit then instead of waiting for more than four years? Why did she wait until he became president? To get her name in the media and for money, of course.
A blind person could see why the above is taking place. The Republicans want to blacken the Clintons' name because it's an election year.
Who has stuck to his commitments to the people, and has fought long and hard to keep the Republicans from destroying Medicare, Medicaid and other programs? Clinton won't stand for balancing the budget on the backs of the poor and needy. Those who termed Clinton a liar should be prosecuted. How many times did Ronald Reagan lie, but was never called a liar? The Republicans were in the White House for 12 years and never fought to balance the budget.
FRANCES JOHNSON
SELMA
Expand shoppers' opportunities
ROBERT Petell's suggestions (Feb. 2 letter to the editor, ``Empty building poses an opportunity'') for the Heironimus downtown store was timely.
Every time a building is vacated in "downtown west," it often remains unused for months or years, even though there's a lack of basic shopping outlets in the downtown area for such needs as hardware, food and other items found in shopping centers. There may be boutiques and cutesy shops on the City Market and elsewhere downtown, but for the most part, they don't cater to the average consumer. There may be 12 places to buy a candle snuffer, but no place to buy wood screws, toothpaste or groceries.
The need for a discount store such as K-Mart or a hardware and building-supply store has been felt for years, as well as needs for a supermarket and a movie theater. The usual reason given for these lacks is that existing vacant buildings are too small.
The Heironimus building is the best answer to such criticisms, as it's large enough to have as many as four or five stores, including, perhaps, a supermarket, hardware store, K-Mart and movie theater on the four above-ground floors, and possibly a fast-food court in the basement. The large number of office workers downtown should provide plenty of business during lunch hour and after work, as well as bring more ``life'' downtown, and reduce crime evenings and on weekends.
RANDOLPH GREGG
ROANOKE
The schools should re-open sooner
CHILDREN in the Roanoke Valley have been seen at movie theaters, the Science Museum, restaurants, malls - everywhere except at the most important place: school. We have transported them safely to many places, yet we can't get them to school.
I agree with Roanoke City School Board member John Saunders' suggestion to evaluate ways to get our children in school sooner after inclement weather (Feb. 8 article, ``Should buses go in snow?''). He suggests canceling bus service and having parents drive their children to school, yet Richard Kelley (assistant superintendent for operations) says this would be unfair to parents without four-wheel-drive vehicles. I don't think parents stayed home for a week because they didn't have four-wheel drives! The streets were passable without these vehicles. It seems we can get ourselves and our children everywhere except to school. I and many others were surprised that schools weren't open by Feb. 7.
Being a parent of three elementary-school students, I understand that our children's safety is a big concern. However, I feel that school officials have been too cautious. I would venture to guess that parents would be willing to transport their children to school. If we can get them to other activities, there should be no reason we couldn't get them to school. If we couldn't do without buses, I cannot imagine that bus drivers couldn't use snow routes, drive more slowly and use extreme caution. Salem's schools opened Feb. 7 without incident, and I don't believe Salem had less snow.
The continuity of education has suffered greatly. We need to look at alternatives to get our schools open in a more timely manner.
DENISE C. REVERCOMB
ROANOKE
Unplowed roads add to fire hazards
WHILE highway officials concentrate on keeping the main roads open, they ignore secondary roads until well after the snow has stopped - notwithstanding the fact that people who travel the main roads come off secondary roads. Roanoke Valley citizens should be forewarned that, in situations such as our last two deep snows, a fire engine cannot get to a lot of homes due to unplowed roads.
Be fire-safe at all times, but especially during extremely bad weather since the fire department may not be able to reach your home in time.
PATRICK M. HALLAHAN
SALEM
The media invaded brothers' privacy
IN RESPONSE to your Feb. 6 article, ``Until Friday, there were 3 brothers'':
I think this article was a disgrace. Anytime is a bad time, but particularly at a time when tragedy has occurred, to print such information for the public.
I believe in people's rights of privacy, and what they have and how they live is not to be categorized under the business of others. To elaborate and print for public eyes actual details of one's home, property and way of living is an invasion of privacy, and shows a lack of intelligence on the media's part.
These brothers never bothered anyone or caused any trouble, but rather were good-hearted and honest, and never took from anyone what wasn't theirs. They minded their own business, which is more than I can say for some people in our world today.
I feel we all need to think of people in a different way and, at a time like this, express our sympathy for a tragedy that took a life. There's a lot that can be learned and appreciated from people such as these brothers, and we should do it rather than making light of the way they lived their lives.
WANDA TOMS
BEDFORD
LENGTH: Long : 153 linesby CNB