Sunday, July 6, 2008 — It was refreshing to see the poll in the SNAP showing that North Carolina voters reject the state takeover of Alcoa. They are showing a better understanding of some basic economic principles than some of our local government officials.
It may be correct that the water in the rivers belongs to the public, but the dams on the river and the land under the lakes are private property. They were built with private money. They were built with the expectation of making a profit just as any investor would expect when a business is started or expanded.
There are no legal limits and there should be no limits as to how long a company may make a profit. There are also no legal limits on the amount of profit a company may earn.
Private property and the right to earn a profit from ownership of property is a cornerstone of our free enterprise system that goes back hundreds of years. It is a fundamental requirement of the free enterprise system. Without it there is no free enterprise.
If the government can take over the private property of Alcoa because it is producing too much profit, what is to keep the government from taking over the local bank or the local farm or the local building supply company or any other business that is “making too much profit?”
The British broke into the sanctity of private property in the late 1940s and forced many large companies to sell their property to the government. By the 1980s the British realized that government ownership of business resulted in less production and less income in the country. The companies were sold back to the public.
Surely we in America and we in Stanly County won’t make the same mistake.
Eugene Pickler
New London
Letters to the Editor
Don’t make the same mistake as the British
- Letters to the Editor
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Gingrich a front runner?
A year ago not many people gave Newt Gingrich much chance of being president.
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An exciting year so far at WSMS
I am an eighth grade teacher at West Stanly Middle and wanted to take the opportunity to share some of the highlights of our year.
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Clean Tech has right to choose location
I am writing in reference to Huck Huckabee’s letter to the editor.
First of all, I don’t think the working population has enough time in the day to wait around for an investigation on why Clean Tech did not take the offer of the Wiscassett Mills property. -
Let them make the decisions they are being paid to make
I am not being critical of our school board or individuals who sit upon it. I am not advocating that redistricting is the best option nor am I opposed to it.
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The company was never about creating jobs
I think Mayor Whitley’s offer of the Wiscassett Mills property to Clean Tech was a brilliant move. The Jan. 5 SNAP article noted that Steve Strickler of Clean Tech said the Wiscassett Mills property “… would not fit Clean Tech’s needs in terms of size and available infrastructure.”
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It's Past Time To Look At Redistricting
Question: Where does the West Stanly School District start? Answer: Just past the little bridge on West Main Street in Albemarle just before Hinks Grill. Handi-Mart and Stanly Community College are also in the West District. The South District starts somewhere around Rock Creek Park.
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Questions to Stanly County
Over the past few months there has been a lot of public discussion concerning the ALCOA relicensing, the effort to locate CleanTech in Stanly County and the dollars spent by the Stanly County Commissioners on these two items
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Postal Service needs greater flexibility for the new year
As we look forward to the beginning of a new year, the Postal Service still needs Congress to make a basic choice: to permit USPS to function more as a business or to continue the constraints.
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ALCOA and their available jobs were not run out of Stanly County
It is my opinion that ALCOA made the choice to leave Stanly County which eliminated good paying jobs and benefits for its citizens after enjoying years of profitable business here. I am also very appreciative of the jobs ALCOA provided in the past.
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Alcoa has been a great giver to Stanly County
Stanly County
I would like to inform the Stanly County manager and the commissioners that no one person owns the Yadkin-Pee Dee River. It is owned by the God of Heaven. And Alcoa’s dams have provided a great source of water to several counties. - More Letters to the Editor Headlines
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Gingrich a front runner?
