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OPINIONS
Voice of the people
Zoning news only hurts newspaper
I don't understand your thinking. You separate stories from Lawrence County and other areas as if no one else of the Tri-State would be interested. The Ohio River does not prevent people and ideas from penetrating across its boundaries. I live in Ohio but work in Huntington, as do thousands of individuals; just look at the traffic on our bridges.
Give us a break. Share the stories to all within your sphere of influence. We are truly interested in what is going on in Ashland, Ironton and Huntington. This would also increase interest from your readers as well as advertisers throughout the Tri-State.
Ed Moellendick
Burlington, Ohio
Those eligible must claim check
To counter a looming economic recession, Congress passed an economic stimulus plan to provide $145 billion in payments to taxpayers. However, the Internal Revenue Service announced that about 50,000 eligible West Virginians failed to claim their economic stimulus payments, leaving more than $14 million unclaimed.
For example, Wayne County had $391,000 in unclaimed rebates, while Putnam had $285,000, totaling $676,000 that is not being generated into the state's economy. Oct. 15 is the last day to file a return to receive a payment.
Taxpayers with no tax liability earning at least $3,000 in 2007 may qualify for a minimum stimulus payment of $300 ($600 for married couples filing jointly) and $300 for each child under 17. Stimulus payments are not taxable and do not affect eligibility for food stamps, TANF, Medicaid or Social Security.
With the help of 85 volunteer tax assistance centers (VITA's) across the state, residents can have their taxes filed at no cost. State and local governments and employers should consider working with these programs to help locate the 50,000 West Virginians who have not yet claimed their stimulus payments and encourage them to do so.
Andrea Cook,
policy analyst
W.Va. Center on Budget and Policy
Charleston
We must conserve resources now
In the midst of a presidential election, satire and being funny have set the stage. Let's be funny. They should be talking about oil and how oil speculation came about.
Let's go back 165 million years ago and ask the question, "Was oil being formed because someone knew advance civilizations would be dependent on its use as a fuel, or did civilization by chance invent a use for oil as a fuel?" In other words, what came first, the knowledge of oil or oil? Is it possible some super intelligence was buying futures on oil speculation 165 million years ago?
There are 10 million millionaires taking advantage of the public. What chance does the public have? Millionaires dealing in futures don't care what the public pays for a gallon of gas, an ear of corn or a loaf of bread.
Now on a serious note. What to do? Drilling now does not solve the short-term or long-term problem. Number one: conservation. The world will run out of these three commodities sooner than the experts predict. This is just the beginning for conservation. How will civilization respond when the water supply dwindles? Conserve now or fight World War IV over water, oil and gas later?
Steve Kopa
Weirton, W.Va.
