Letters the the Editor

Retreat spending continues
...year after year after year

Regarding the out-of-town retreat our town commissioners will be spending money on this weekend, I have been asking this question for years: Why waste our money and go out of town, when we have adequate facilities already paid for by taxpayers?

I became aware of these costs when the article was run several years ago by the Tribune about the amount area cities and towns were paying for their "retreats."

I began to ask some of the commissioners individually and I have even used my "three minutes" of public comment time at a town board meeting to make the point that this retreat is unnecessary and a blatant abuse of taxpayer funds.

But, as always, I was bombarded with justifications and rationalizations of why it was necessary to "get away" from Mooresville to "focus" and to "bond" as a town government.

I would like to share with the readers some of the positions which I have relayed to the commissioners and to the public attending the town board meetings:

First, why are we spending taxpayer funds to go out of town to a resort when we have just paid taxpayer funds for a new town hall, police station and library, all of which have conference rooms that could be used for the meetings? (Not to mention there are alot of local churches where they could use a fellowship hall for free).

Second, Why should we depreciate town vehicles and pay for the fuel to go to another town for our retreat?

Third, Why should we take taxpayer funds to another local economy, when we should spend any funds possible within our own town limits?

I have been told by a commissioner that the distractions in Mooresville are too much for them to get any work done, which I find weak as an excuse for adults to use, much less elected officials.

I even went as far as to call a local hotel and inquire as to their rate on a conference room for a day ($150 for 40 people with continental breakfast) and offered to solicit a reduced lunch rate from a local restaurant for the town staff. (The entire retreat could be done for under $1,000.

But one of the things that really gets to me is why haven't our town officials tried to save taxpayer funds? They have been told our position on this retreat for years, yet they have signed new contracts after the frivolous spending has been exposed.

Public trust is a privilege, not a means to privilege. I guess they don't care or perhaps they feel they are privileged?

I would like to commend Miles Adkins for his apology and attempts to curb wasteful spending, but most of all for his attempts to keep government open and transparent.

I just wonder when the people of Mooresville will realize that the duty of elected officials is to use discretion in spending, not lavish themselves at our expense. I hope voters remember this at election time.

Rhett P. Dusenbury
Mooresville

A win-win for economy
and the auto industry

I have an idea that would help the auto industry, the banking industry and any other company that has held stock.

Since stock prices are low -- Chevy and Ford, for instance, are at $3-$5 a share -- a sales pitch could offer 100-200 shares of stock with the purchase of an automobile, depending on the price of the unit.

That would only cost the company $300 to $600 at this market rate. After the automobile is paid off in five to six years the automobile will depreciate in value, as they all do, but having stock in the company would be an investment that could be worth a substantial amount of money.

Ordinary people who do not have stock or do not participate in a 401K would now have an investment for the future or could cash it in and repurchase a new vehicle in five-six years. This would in turn raise the stock prices of the company and in turn sell cars. This plan could be set up for "limited time only" advertisement.

This plan can also be applied in the banking industry or any other industry using the incentive of purchasing stock shares as a bonus for doing business with the companies -- replacing what the automobile industry does with "rebates."

Funds could be deposited in banks for a certain share of stock. You could also receive shares of stock for purchasing appliances at Lowe's or Home Depot that could be saved and cashed in later for retirement.

This is a win-win situation for commodity sales and stock prices and an excellent economic stimulus.

Rocco W. Colucci
Mooresville