Published: June 03, 2009 03:52 pm      

Letters to the Editor

June 3, 2009 — Cars coming from China

Editor,

General Motors (GM) received $20 billion in U.S. government loans and might need another $50 billion to survive.

GM plans to close a number of U.S. plants and lay off thousands of workers. The UAW has agreed to eliminate or reduce employee benefits to drop the average wage, including benefits, from around $75 per hour to near $45 per hour, which is the average wage of U.S. auto workers at foreign plants in the U.S. Hopefully, GM will cut management staff and reduce executive salaries. These actions should make GM cost competitive and save thousands of American jobs.

However, to my astonishment, GM plans to increase imports from Mexico, South Korea, Japan and China from 15% in 2009 to 23% by 2014. Approximately 50,000 cars will be imported from Communist China by 2014.

Evidently the U.S. taxpayers are loaning GM $20-$50 billion to stay alive so it can close U.S. plants, lay off U.S. workers, transfer some production to foreign countries like Communist China and import inferior cars to the U.S. so more U.S. workers can be laid off. And our insurance rates and health care costs will increase from accidents as the wheels falls off the Chinese made vehicles.

We don’t need imported cars. We need fuel efficient, reasonably priced cars manufactured in the U.S.

Donald A. Moskowitz

Londonderry, NH



Germany exchange student

Editor,

Hello, my name is Corinna Klussmeyer and I am an exchange student from Germany. For the past 9 months I have been living in Grayson, and I attended East Carter High School as a senior.

My exchange year has been an amazing experience to me, and that is why now, I would like to thank all the people who made my experience an even greater one.

First of all, I want to thank my wonderful host parents, Vicky and Bobby Barker. Thank you so much for everything you have done for me, I cannot say how much I appreciate you welcoming me warmly into your family and letting me be a part of your life. I have found a second family on the other end of the world in you and I will miss you and the rest of your family a lot. All of you will always have a very special place in my heart.

Secondly, I want to thank Sebastian Edathy from the German Bundestag for nominating me for the CBYX scholarship program which made it even possible for me to study abroad in the United States.

I would like to also thank my family and friends back in Germany for always being there and not forgetting me, even if we are thousands of miles apart from each other.

Also, I would like to thank AYUSA, my exchange organization, for letting me enroll in their program. One person who has always supported and helped me with any kind of problems is Dorothy Ledger, my Community Representative. Thank you for everything.

Now I want to thank Mr. Donald Damron, the principal of East Carter High School, for giving me the opportunity to study in his school and to even be able to graduate and getting my High School Diploma. I appreciate this very much and I had a great Senior year at East Carter High.

Also, I would like to give thanks to my teachers, Mrs. Marshall, Mr. Tomlinson, Mrs. May, Mr. Kouns, Mrs. Potter, Mr. Ramey and Mr. Larabee. Thank you Mr. Kouns, for being a great history teacher; I could have never learned so much on American history without you. Thank you. Mrs. Potter, for helping me improve my English a lot and for always being so wonderfully monotone. And thank you, Mr. Ramey, for teaching me how not to use my cell phone in your class and for always picking on us poor exchange students and still being able to make us smile.

My exchange year would have not been nearly the same without the great friends I have made during my time over here. I have met so many new people and always had a great time with all of them.

I would especially like to thank three friends that have always been there for me and that I had so many unforgettable experiences with: Allie Whitley, Whitley Hill and Breianna Colley.

Thank you for teaching me how to survive as an American teenager and for all the moments I will always keep in mind when thinking of the United States. I can’t wait for you to visit my family and me in Germany in 2010!

Last I would like to thank everyone else who has supported me during my year in the USA, always makes me smile and who has made my experience a better one.

There is just one last thing to say: Thanks for the memories and Auf Wiedersehen!

Corinna Klussmeyer, Germany

East Carter High School

Unhappy with local residents

Editor,

Shame on you Grayson and Carter County again this year, we went to the Bridge over I-64 to show our respect to our Veterans on their way to Washington and other reunions around the country.

These vets leave out of California on a long trip across this great country. It’s to draw attention to the POW/MIA issue. Yes Vietnam is history but our boys are still in harms way in Iraq and Afghanistan. These men and women are out there to protect your freedom but they are someone’s son or daughter, brother or sister, husband or wife. Let us never forget what they do for us here at home.

This is the weekend that we sat aside to remember our loved ones who have gone on. This is the great memory days weekend. This should be the beginning of memory days.

When we first started rolling thunder they always stopped in Grayson. But were made to feel very unwelcome, so they moved on to Cannonsburg exit. At that time there was only 1 gas station at Cannonsburg. You would think that as money hungry and greedy as Grayson business are that they would welcome these people with open arms.

The gas stations and fast food businesses here lose more business in a two day run then they make in a week, between run for the wall and rolling thunder there are between 1,000 to 2,000 people that go by Grayson in a 2 day period.

I see hundreds of stickers, plates, and flags around with the POW/MIA logo on. But yet when we go to the bridge each year all that show up are the same 6 to 8 people. Is that all the people in this area who care?

A lot of these people take 2 weeks out of their lives each year to make this run. They ride in some of the worst weather day after day. This trip is physically and mentally exhausting. We have lost many brothers on this trip, a lot of the Vietnam vets are getting older and the younger vets have to pick up and go on and they have.

To the people that come out each year, we appreciate you so much. To the State Police, we appreciate your help and show of respect, for that we thank you.

So next year Carter County lets make this the biggest show of respect in the country. You will truly be blessed for it.

I know we are all busy trying to make a living, but lets take an hour out of our busy lives and show our respect for the American Veteran.

See you on the bridge next year. It’s always the Thursday morning, between 8 and 9 a.m. Memorial weekend.

Thank you,

Charles M. French

Vietnam Veteran



Needing address

Editor,

Does anyone around Olive Hill have the address of Guardian Alliance EFT Insurance Company?

I’d like to get in touch with this Insurance Company.

Leona Williams

255 Williams Lane, Olive Hill



Thanks for attending birthday party

Editor,

I would like to thank each and everyone who attended the 81st birthday gathering for Charles “Charlie” Seagraves, especially his family and friends from Hitchins and Grayson. I would also like to thank everyone who sent gifts, money, and food. Also his brother, R.C. Seagraves and Brother Bob Stapleton and wife, Joyce.

Thank You,

Anna Lee and Charles

Seagraves

Olive Hill