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Your daily Letter to the Columnist — May 21, 2013

Dear Mr. Casey

As I recently had an article published, I am not eligible to submit my question to the “Letters” editor because of the 30 day rule.  So I am sending my concern to you.

Yesterday’s Roanoke Times carried an Associated Press article concerning the IRS mess, entitled “White House: Obama wasn’t aware of IRS targeting”.  Towards the end of the article, the following statement was made:  “The report (i.e., the report issued by the Treasury Department Inspector) concluded that a regional IRS office in Ohio improperly singled out tea party and other conservative groups for more than 18 months and took no action on many of their applications for tax-exempt status for long periods of time – hindering their fundraising for the 2010 and 2012 elections.”

My understanding is that these groups were applying for 501 (c) 4 status.  IRS regulations clearly limit the activities of organizations receiving tax exemption status under this regulation to “charitable, educational or recreational activities.” Read more »

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Your daily Letter to the Columnist — May 9, 2013

Dan,

The economy in Roanoke is not the best, tough times for most.

But yet the newly re-elected 2012 mayor, David Allen Bowers, wants to raise taxes on Roanoke City folks, but wants a pay raise???

Vice Mayor Court Rosen says no to raising taxes in Roanoke City . . . What did Court Rosen say about the mayor’s pay raise???

The mayor is not a grateful person at all. I am a Democrat. If Mark Lucas runs again, I would vote for him.

W.T.
ROANOKE

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Note from Dan: The most recent story on this subject by my colleague David Ress is here. In it, Court Rosen spoke against increasing the mayor’s and council’s salaries. But it looks likes it a done deal. Four council members — Bowers, Sherman Lea, Anita Price and Bill Bestpitch — appear to favor the raises.

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Your daily Letter to the Columnist — May 8, 2013

Note from Dan: The email below is by Kevin DeGidio, one of the parents of girl volleyball players mentioned in Sunday’s column about the former volunteer assistant coach at Salem High School now faces charges of possessing and producing child pornography. DeGidio attached four documents referenced in the letter, which I have examined. All appear genuine. Kim Martinez, head coach of the girls volleyball team at Salem High, resigned from that position Monday.

Dan,

This is Kevin DeGidio, I was mentioned in your article “When is Red Flag Red Enough?”

I thought your article was excellent and asks the questions that everyone should be asking. I know you must put the response New Revolution in Volleyball and Old Dominion Region Volleyball are making, but I am getting tired of them saying I am making false statements. Read more »

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Your daily Letter to the Editor — May 6, 2013

Reading the news story “Army says no to more tanks, but Congress insists” April 29 annoyed me more than Dan Casey!

The Army does not need or want any more Abrams tanks, yet Congress, in the midst of sequestration, is requiring that almost half a billion dollars be spent to build a 70-ton paperweight.

These tanks will most likely be put into storage and rust until bid upon by a scrap metals firm.

Meanwhile, services that the public enjoys or needs are eliminated so one party can blame the other, in hope that the public will demand higher taxes so their wanted programs and services will return. Disgusting.

Peter Nylander
ROANOKE

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Note from Dan: I was also annoyed by that story. But I’m curious as to how Mr. Nylander knows he was more annoyed by it than I was.

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Your daily Letter to the Columnist — April 20, 2013

Dear Mr. Casey,

Thank you for your April 24 front-page story about the many costs of fertility struggles (“Infertility substitutes parenthood with pain.”)

The article struck me as thorough and poignant in terms of the various types of upheaval people in these situations face. One of my friends, in fact, refers to herself as an “infertility survivor,” so brutal was the process of finally carrying a pregnancy to term. I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping that the Andersons will soon be parents.

In terms of the greater picture of infertility, I thought you might be interested to know that acupuncture is an inexpensive, non-invasive, and effective treatment for infertility. Read more »

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Your daily Letter to the Columnist — April 29, 2013

Dan,

I read your article about the Tea Party forum with interest. I also spoke just last night with Joe McNamara about the candidate forum with the Tea Party.

What you may not know is that the current extremist conservative group that controls the Roanoke County Republican Party will not allow ex-members of the Executive Committee back into the party if they believe that they are not conservative enough. The current chairman is professional political staffer who works for Ralph Smith. He is firmly behind this extremist group and their passion and ability to turn out volunteers. Read more »

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Your daily Letter to the Editor — April 28, 2013

Re: “Welcome to go where there’s gun control,” April 24 letter by Hamilton Beard:

No – wait, Mr. Beard. Yes, let the gun control crybabies move to Australia or New Zealand or wherever they want to go. But please, not Dan Casey.

Don’t you realize he’s our resident expert on everything? Feeding the elderly, gun control, the greenway, bicycle safety and the Taubman Museum are only a few areas of his expertise.

How in the world could we survive without him telling us how to think about everything from politics to parenting?

If you don’t believe he knows it all, just ask him.

Doris T. Hansel
ROANOKE COUNTY

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Your daily Letter to the Columnist — April 26, 2013

Dan,

Normally, my bike commute home takes me down Jefferson Street. and the little section of greenway between Walnut Street and Roanoke Memorial Hospital. On Tuesday, after your article ran, I decided to take Elm Avenue out to Wasena and ride the stretch between the park and Roanoke Memorial, since that seems to be the offending segment.

I expected to find that, while there was likely to be some congestion, that overall problems of etiquette and safety were overblown or exaggerated, and certainly that the cyclists weren’t the main offenders.

I was wrong.

As I neared River’s Edge on my bike, I watched three cyclists in their racing spandex, each of them chatting with the other, come zooming up the greenway away from the hospital. As they passed under the Franklin Road bridge, they zipped by two women who were walking together. The cyclists didn’t signal — no “on your left,” no bike bell, no sound whatsoever. Read more »

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Your daily Letter to the Columnist — April 24, 2013

Dan Casey’s column about greenway etiquette is right on the mark. Most of the conflicts I’ve witnessed on the greenway come from pedestrians who don’t know (or understand) trail etiquette. And how would they?  As far as I know, there is no signage explaining the rules.

This dearth of instruction is an accident (and a lawsuit) waiting to happen. In particular, there needs to be signage warning trail-users of danger in those areas where the greenway and public roads are contiguous or coincident.

The most egregious of these areas is Wiley Drive between the hospital and Smith Park, where there is ZERO indication that the greenway and Wiley Drive are essentially coincident.

I’ve witnessed several near-misses, hysterical parents, and driver-rider altercations where bikers & pedestrians join the greenway from the parking lot near the Ramada Inn on Franklin Road. It’s just a matter of time until an accident occurs there, and the city is sued for negligence because of the absence of roadway markings, signage, and traffic-control procedures.

Finally,  I’ve been astonished at the reckless speed of road-bikers who are apparently oblivious to pedestrians and slower riders (like me).  Perhaps some buzz-strips are in order…?

Joe Campbell
GLENVAR

Your daily Letter to the Editor — April 21, 2013

Not long ago, as a formerly frequent patron, I visited a popular hamburger restaurant in Blacksburg to place an order. I was immediately followed in line by three 20-or-so-year-old guys, all prominently sporting holstered firearms strapped to their waists with belts that appeared to contain extra ammunition clips.

I suppose the three of them would argue that I should have felt safer by their presence. The reverse was true.

If child-friendly restaurants have a right to exercise a no shoes, no shirt, no service policy, then I suggest they apply a policy to exclude gun-toting patrons as well.

David W. Griffiths
BLACKSBURG