Support for ‘Doc’

Lola Hopper asked in her letter Saturday what state Rep. Charles “Doc” Anderson has done for us to earn re-election. She also said we deserve better.

But when Waco and McLennan County faced a potential environmental disaster with the proposed building of several coal-fired power plants in and around McLennan County, Anderson was front and center on the issue. This was despite pressure he took from his own party and Gov. Rick Perry — who fast-tracked these plants.

Anderson attended meetings in Waco, Bellmead, Hallsburg and Riesel and made it clear that this was a huge issue with him politically and as a resident.

State Sens. Kip Averitt and David Sibley supported the plants, despite widespread opposition from Waco officials, the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, McLennan County Commissioners Court and countless other organizations and citizens.

Anderson did not have to do what he did, as the proposed coal plants were not in his district. He could have remained silent. He should be commended for his stance, standing up when others decided to sit it out.

Maybe Hopper should ask what Anderson’s opponents did. We know that answer.

Rick Wegwerth, Hallsburg

Purpose of war

I respectfully disagree with Roger Olson’s letter Sunday. The purpose of war is not to bring about peace.  That attitude has cost us thousands of lives as our soldiers fought to bring about peace rather than to win.

War is a horrible business.  We should never commit our soldiers to combat until all diplomatic efforts have been exhausted. Once the decision has been made that peace cannot be achieved and we must go to war, the only way to wage war is go all-out to win it.

If we had fought the Japanese to bring about peace, it is likely that we would be living under the Japanese flag today. Hitler did not want peace. He wanted to dominate the world. We defeated his Third Reich by conducting total war. We were fighting for peace, but that peace would only be possible when our enemy was totally destroyed.

Wars should never be conducted as a peace mission.  That gets our young people killed unnecessarily.

 Joe Walker, Lorena

Bellmead election

Bellmead residents have an opportunity to make the most of their school tax dollars by voting in favor of the tax ratification election. If passed, the La Vega ISD school board will be able to recover for our community $1.8 million that currently go elsewhere in the state.

The school board already has approved a decrease in the interest and sinking tax rate. If voters approve an equal increase of the maintenance and operations tax rate, the overall tax rate will remain the same. Pass or fail, residents will pay the same tax rate. Let’s keep money best used for our own students, and allow La Vega ISD to balance its budget for the 2010-2011 school year. If the tax ratification election fails, then our children will lose money that could have benefitted their education.

The Bellmead Chamber of Commerce supports the election and applauds the efforts of the La Vega ISD to be good stewards of taxpayer funds.

Election Day is Saturday. Let’s vote in favor of this.

the Rev. R. Duane Hoxworth Sr., Bellmead