What about ABC funding?
Editor:
I wish Jason Reagan's March 16 column in the Watauga Democrat had mentioned the funds that are disbursed by the Boone and Blowing Rock ABC Stores to county education, law enforcement and more importantly, the Towns of Boone and Blowing Rock.  
We have also initiated grants for local non-profits and law enforcement, which will be awarded in July after the end of our fiscal year; the total grants are 2 percent of our profit.  
We fund an alcohol education teacher entirely in the Watauga County School System and a Town of Boone police officer.
The private sector is interested in the bottom line, as are we of course, but  our primary goal is to benefit the taxpayer and alcohol education. I doubt the private sector is interested in alcohol education, underage drinking (the primary problem in this county) and law enforcement.
I am the court monitor for the local chapter of MADD and a member PARC (Preventing Alcohol Related Crashes), both volunteer jobs.  
As chairman of the Boone ABC Board, some have called me a hypocrite but I would like to think that our Board recognizes the down-side of alcohol consumption.  
Our newest board member, Ronny Holste, is also a member of PARC and, on his own, initiated the ABC Commission bartender education program in Boone that is held once a month.
I personally believe that if we privatize the system, the tax monies will go to the state and will never reach the local counties and cities whose citizens voted for the ABC store and liquor by the drink in order to obtain the additional monies.  
As you know, Appalachian State continues to buy property within the town limits, which shrinks the tax base of the town, hence our contribution is very important to the town of Boone's bottom line.
By the way, our employees did not get a raise this year and probably won't next year.  Their benefits include health insurance but no retirement, which is enjoyed by state employees. We hope that the state legislature sees fit to strengthen rules pertaining to the ABC system instead of privatization.
Candy Winebarger
Chairman, Boone ABC Board
 

Editor's Response:  My column was not really intended to examine the funding structure of the ABC system but rather it's justification for existence in the first place -    the philosophical underpinnings, if you will.
As far as I know, there is no reason private liquor-store tax revenue could not be allocated for local educational use. No evidence suggests this could not be the case.
Such funding would be up to the legislature and they are supposed to be accountable to all of us and vote accordingly.
Both Ms. Winebarger and I share a belief that alcohol tax revenue should fund local educational efforts.
My fundamental objection with the current ABC situation is based on another fundamental belief that governments, in general, should not in the retail business since it almost always breed some level of corruption (as seen in recent scandals across the state). - JR


Impressed with Virginia Foxx
Editor:
I want to express a sincere thank you to U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx for her personal attention to a letter I had sent her back in February.
Mrs. Foxx personally called me back, and we spoke for over 30 minutes about H.R. 25, and I was very impressed by her willingness to explain to me her pros and cons on this bill.
I found throughout our conversation how in touch she really is to her community and her desire for her constituents here in North Carolina. I know we will never see eye to eye on all issues, but she was willing to hear my side, and I could tell she was truly interested in what I had to say. 
It makes a difference when one of your elected officials takes the time to personally respond back to you, and I know from experience that others that represent this great state have failed in this respect. 
I believe Mrs. Foxx is doing what she thinks is best for us and wants to hear from us, and will work hard to ensure our opinions and concerns are listened to and her decisions reflect that in her service to North Carolina residents. 
Thank you, Virginia, for your dedication, and my respect and appreciation for you has been affected in a positive way and I will certainly cast my independent vote for you.
Matthew Schwartz
West Jefferson


Spend some time in bus drivers' shoes
Editor:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the hard-working people in the Watauga County school system.
Last Tuesday, March 2, we had a tough afternoon in school transportation. The school system announced a release, and then the snow started falling hard and fast.
Several people have criticized school employees who were, as usual, doing a great job, especially under the circumstances that afternoon! I think that Marty Hemric, superintendent, Toni Floyd, director of transportation, the mechanics at the bus garage, and all of the bus drivers did an excellent job! 
The weather in these mountains is very unpredictable, and until you are in one of the positions above, you should not be so quick to criticize.  Regardless of what you may have heard, our buses are all equipped with chains, and the garage staff conducts a chain clinic for all drivers every year before winter begins. Our drivers are all trained to drive and chain the buses in adverse conditions.
All of the children on buses got home safely that day, even as some parents were complaining about the buses running late. The real concern under these conditions is safety, not punctuality.
So, before you criticize, get a bus license and spend some time in our shoes. I think it would change your perspective!
Anita Mains
Watauga County Schools bus driver


Many readers booked it to the mall
Editor:
The Friends of the Watauga County Public Library's annual Book Sale in the Boone Mall Feb. 25 through the 27th was a great success, despite blizzard conditions. Which, just goes to show what a hardy bunch we Wataugans are! 
Devoted readers stocked up by the box full, but it never would have happened without our many volunteers.
We are grateful to the folks at the Habitat Re-Store for loading, transporting  and unloading hundreds of boxes of books for the sale.
Thank you to the High Country Christian Homeschoolers for unpacking the boxes and setting up the sale tables. We are grateful to Boone Mall manager Meredith Golden for allowing us to "take over" the mall for a weekend. Last, but not least, we want to acknowledge all the Friends of the Library volunteers who gave of their time - each of you gave so much for this event.
Friends of the Library accept gently read book donations throughout the year and display many of these books for sale in the library foyer. Proceeds from our book sales provide your public library with many programs that have become a vital part of our community.  
Claire Olander, president, Friends of the Library
Suzanne Thompson, book sale coordinator


Thanks for Haiti help
Editor:
I teach kindergarten at Bethel School and am planning a trip in April to work at an orphanage in the Dominican Republic near the Haitian border. 
On Saturday, March 13, I hosted a breakfast at the Beaver Dam Fire Department to raise money to donate to the orphanage.
The turnout for this event was impressive and donations generous, to say the least. Thanks to the many contributions, I have more than $1200 to deliver to this orphanage. 
As the planning for this event got under way, I found myself humbled by how generously people donated their time, money, and resources to benefit this cause. Words cannot express how fortunate I feel to be a part of the Bethel community. I know there is no way I can fully convey my appreciation, but I do want to publicly thank the following businesses and individuals who helped make this fundraiser the success that it was: Backyard Burgers, Bandana's, Chick-fil-A, Cici's Pizza, Goodnight Brothers, Marble Slab, Mast General Store, Stone Mountain General Store, Walmart, Wendy's, Irene Woodard, Karen Cable, Jo Sorrell, Pat Warren, all the wonderful parents of the Bethel kindergarteners, and everyone who took the time to come out and support this event.
I will proudly deliver this money as a representation of the kind hearts and compassionate nature of the people of the high country. Thank-you again, everyone, for your commitment to making a difference.
Katie Parker
 

State Sen. Steve Goss (D-Watauga) was recently appointed to the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) reform study committee.
The committee is supposed to make recommendations about how to fix a broken system riddled with no small amount of incompetence and corruption.
In January, all three members of the New Hanover County ABC board resigned after the local media discovered the father and son who operated the local system earned $350,000 in salaries.
In Mecklenburg County, liquor-industry representatives hosted a $12,700 dinner for the local board's chief as well as 30 employees, family and friends.
The solution to this intoxicating mess is as simple as a straight shot of Jim Beam: privatize.
Undo what should have never been done in the first place. Put a cap on a nasty cocktail of nepotism, unneeded bureaucracy and outdated attempts to legislate morality.
Right now, the state of North Carolina controls liquor sales - a monopoly - the only watering hole for state-operated liquor stores and private bar stocks.
Some will say, "Alcohol is unhealthy and can lead to public safety problems." That's true, abuse of alcohol cost millions of dollars (perhaps billions) in lost productivity, related diseases and property damage not to mention the thousands of lives lost through such abuse, directly and indirectly.
However, the question no one seems to be asking is: How does setting up bureaucrats as the state's bartender help control the problem of abuse?
An alcoholic can obtain liquor just as easily from a state-operated liquor store as he can from a private business. For that matter, said alcoholic can also hop from bar to bar and ruin his life just as easily on state-purchased liquor.
If we agree liquor poses a health risk, then we have to ask ourselves, should we hold the state accountable for the sale of all health-risky products?
Tobacco use is arguably more detrimental to our nation's health than booze. Shouldn't we have state tobacco stores? No more running down to the corner convenience store - line up at the government-run counter and smoke 'em if you've got 'em.
Fried fast foods have contributed as much or more to our nation's poor health than the millions of shots downed at the local tavern. Perhaps the state should don Ronald's clown nose and start flipping state-approved burgers - the new ABC board: Artery-Blocking Consumables.
Let's not even get into the question of why the state doesn't operate the North Carolina Controlled Gun-o-Rama.
In short, the argument that the state should control anything that has the potential for harming a number of its citizen falls on its face like Otis Campbell on a Mayberry Saturday night.
Alarmists will respond: "If we privatize liquor sales, new stores will pop up all over our county like some kind of tequila-fed weed."
Let me share a personal observation.
Several years ago, my home county in Tennessee, Roane, slowly but surely voted to allow liquor stores.
Tennessee is a privatized-store state. Ironically, the first town to do so was Harriman, a town built by advocates of the Temperance movement at the turn of the century.
Eventually, my hometown of Kingston also voted to allow liquor stores. During the first few months of legalization, several stores did indeed sprout up.
At one point, I counted about seven stores. Over time, the free market went to work and angry teetotalers discovered that drinkers of alcohol were mostly beer and wine enthusiasts due to economics, as liquor is much more expensive.
 In short, most of the stores closed quickly, leaving only about three stores today (about what you would have under an ABC structure)
Yes, broken as it may be, the free market works every now and then.
Side note: The most successful store in Roane County is located in a former Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall. Go figure.
Of course, let's not overlook the real reason North Carolina wants to be in the liquor business - money.
As Rep. Cullie Tarleton (D-Watauga) pointed out in his Monday edition column, the state brought in $757 million in sales in 2008-09.
Running a monopoly is quite lucrative. Of course, it could be that tax receipts garnered from liquor sales operated by more efficient private stores not seeking to line the pockets of local officials could outpace that figure.
Under such a system, it would not be any of our business if a liquor-industry rep wanted to wine and dine the local liquor store owner. That's her business.
If the state privatized liquor stores, every county could clearly seek to outlaw such stores if they believed it would benefit their citizens.
At last call, the reasons to have state controlled liquor stores in North Carolina makes no more sense than the reasons given for South Carolina's past sales of "airline-sized" bottles.
It's just "the way we do things around here."
The first step to stopping our addiction to bureaucracy is admitting we have a problem.
Hi, we're North Carolina and we're a regulatory-oholic.


Reagan's Ramblings
Jason Reagan is the editor of the Watauga Democrat. He can be reached at reagan@wataugademocrat.com

Editor:
In response to "Green technologies not being green" of 3/9.
In response to a recent letter by Tonya Bottomley: Any human activity will necessarily consume natural resources.  To think that wind turbines can generate electricity and a Prius can transport us around without any environmental consequences, as Ms. Bottomley seems to expect, is absurd.   
The only meaningful way to objectively evaluate the "greenness" of a technology is to compare it to the competition.   For example, an efficient technology that relies on one kilogram of rare-earth metal may very well result in several tons of coal not being mined and burned.  That Prius, with its small amount of neodymium and lanthanum, may displace the burning of thousands of gallons of gasoline. The only way to completely eliminate the consumption of natural resources is for humans to cease to exist, which no environmentalist is advocating.  Our only sensible path is to reduce the consumption of natural resources through the adoption of long lasting, efficient, and renewable technologies.
While I haven't personally checked all of Ms. Bottomley's "facts," one is glaringly false.  Utility-scale wind turbines contain exactly zero magnetic material of any sort.  These induction alternators use electromagnetic fields not permanent magnets to generate electricity.  It is true that most small wind turbines use permanent magnetic, and while I haven't personally weighed any, the many I have worked with all weigh considerably less than 2 tons.   
I do applaud Ms. Bottomley's recent concern for the planet beyond the High Country - specifically mining in China.  Too often her objection to wind power smells of NIMBYism (Not in My BackYard).  
Brian Raichle