“Follow the money!” This is the usual advice for anyone trying to find out who is behind activities such as corruption or bribery. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United has made both these activities legal. Millions of dollars have been spent by “Crossroads GPS,” created by Karl Rove with some Wall Street millionaires, and other PACs including three bankrolled by Art Pope, “Americans for Prosperity,” “Civitas Action” and “Real Jobs NC.” The sole purpose of these PACs is to buy candidates, influencing the outcome of elections for their own political gain, corrupting our democratic election process.

The North Carolina geological survey landslide hazard map prepared for Macon County is a valuable resource for our county planners, citizens and property owners. The considerable cost developing this resource has been borne by the taxpayers of North Carolina. The Macon County Planning Board has spent extensive time and effort reviewing the information and discussing how it could be used.

The development of this map utilizes considerable fieldwork and data collection on the ground by North Carolina geological survey geologist with over 60 days “on the ground effort.” Over 600 locations were investigated in that aspect of the study.

I do have concerns about a North Carolina school system spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a reading program in our current budgetary situation (MCN, 9/1). However, I want to clarify comments attributed to me about the gray matter volume study.

When I first talked to the reporter, her description of the study suggested it was not yet published but I subsequently went to the website she gave me and saw that it was. The second time I talked with the reporter, she did not catch that I did know it was published. She was probably influenced by the serious concerns I still had about the study being used to convince school board members to buy an expensive program.

Democrat attacks on TEA Party a disgrace and grossly inaccurate.

The gangland-style, fist-pounding threat to “take out the sons of b_____s shouted by union leader Jimmy Hoffa Jr. is just the latest in a string of name-calling aimed at the TEA party and TEA partiers by Democrat leaders, mind you, not citizens but LEADERS! Democrat Vice President Joe Biden has called Tea partiers “terrorists” and “the barbarians at the door.” Congresswoman Maxine Waters told her audience that the TEA party can “go to hell.” Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid makes an amazing claim that TEA partiers are, “not American people.” In other recent speeches Democrats have claimed TEA partiers are racists and slave masters. This offensive language, the threats and totally untrue accusations should be condemned by all ordinary citizens.