Comments for The Page County Watch BLOG

Comment on Learning about farming by jay dedman

jay dedman — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:56:46 +0000

I wish your post was the accepted wisdom. We all want jobs in Page County because people want to work. We also want to keep the rural flavor of Page County because we all love the quiet and mountains.

Remember, it’s not guaranteed that building industrial parks with taxpayer money will bring business here. Very likely it’s wasted money since industry comes when there is an educated workforce and tax incentives. They don’t need buildings.

Even if industry does come, do we want jobs at the expense of new subdivisions and strip malls built on every vacant spot you drive past. Been by Manassas or Centerville lately? Why not just move there if that’s what you want.

But let’s get back to the agreement that we all want to work and we all want to keep the rural nature of Page County. You do this a couple ways. Build a broadband network where everyone has access. We should be the envy of surrounding counties because of the high speeds. People can telecommute, start their own local businesses, and market all kinds of products/services (like food) online.

Educate our children to master computer skills from programming, design, and maintaining servers. These skills are the norm like when kids in the 50’s learned how to fix cars or farm. Computer skills are now the norm and not difficult to learn if taught by people who know what they’re doing. Start them young and we’ll have a intellectually powerful crop of adults in 15 years.

Then our children will want to stay in Page County because they don’t have to move to an area that simply has the internet.

Comment on Here are the election results by Red Stapler

Red Stapler — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:26:08 +0000

Great letter Lee! All those backstabbing SOB’s are gonna get just what they asked for!
I’ll give you one thing, you are consistent! And a most gracious loser!

Comment on Learning about farming by Red Stapler

Red Stapler — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:00:31 +0000

Farm subsidies have been around for a long, long time, and since the beginning people have argued over them, just like any other government program. Those on the pro side argue they help stabilize the markets (commodities mostly, grain, cotton, tobacco, dairy products) those against say they distort prices. Who is right? I don’t propose to know. I do know the average farmer in no way gets rich off them for he has little control if any of the price he gets for his goods. The middle men (the wealthy) make all the money, as they have throughout history. A tobacco farmer can get a dollar or maybe close to two dollars for a pound of product he sweats over producing. I can tell you a carton of cigarettes that now sells for $40.+ doesn’t come close to weighing a pound. Same for wheat and corn, and on and on. A few penny’s worth of wheat turns into a few dollars worth of flour. All modern nations subsidize their farmers. Most of the folks in those places don’t starve. Is the system working? Who knows.

Page County taxpayers also are in the subsidy business. One thing your taxes go to is subsidizing all the folks who live in Warren County, our neighbors to the north. Our landfill would charge you about $45. a ton to dump certain types of trash you might take to the site. Luckily folks from Warren get a break, their trash comes in by the truckload (if you have ever driven up 340 in the past few years you have more than likely been passed by one of their trucks) and is dumped for less than $30 a ton. You, the taxpayer, are so deep in debt for the fiasco our government came up with in the landfill deal from the days of yore, we have to come up with cash flow some way or another to pay the tremendous debt. We are like trash junkies, desperately looking for money from anywhere, even if we really are losing money, we must have the cash to pay the dealer.

We also subsidize the rich and the very, very rich with our tax dollars. We give some of them free land, as long as they promise to someday create a few jobs. We help them get free money from the state government in exchange for the same promise. We pay them millions for land that is worth thousands, so we can give the land away to others as long as they promise to create a few jobs. For a long time now I have wondered what kind of business would open a venture here, where over one third of the adults in the county do not have a high school education. I have to believe this statistic transfers over to those who are out of work. If hi tech industry comes here, how many jobs will there be for those who choose not to get an education? (Yes, educating yourself is a choice once you turn 18. I don’t want to hear any whining about not being able to get an education).

I watched Northern Virginia evolve from a rural area very similar to how Page is now. One of the first things that moved in were the commercial and industrial developments. Let me tell you, a two hundred acre industrial park is going to employ a whole lot more people than are out of work in Page to fill its jobs. Of course Page is wide open, and it will be easy to build new subdivisions for all the folks who will move in to take the jobs. Of course, we will be building more schools for all their children, more water and sewer plants,more roads and fire and police come next. More shopping centers. Have you every heard of Tyson’s Corner?
I remember when it consisted of a gas station and a bar called the Crystal Pistol. Oh yes, there was a roadside fruit stand that was open part of the year. That was it. Then the warehouses and commercial business’s moved in. Go there today. See all the progress they have made.

A friend of mine who has spent his career teaching job skills to those young people who may not go on to get a formal education after high school.
We both agree we need to put people to work if they need a job. But providing jobs means progress and
progress means growth and growth will always bring more growth and eventually it will get out of hand, as it has in Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Clarke, Frederick and on and on. You can’t have your cake and eat it to. If you want Page to stay the beautiful place it is then we need to work towards getting business to develop in neighboring counties, Warren, Shenandoah, Rockingham. So people have to commute 20 minutes or so to work? Big Deal. Set up public transportation to those areas. We already have public transportation to Warren every day, why not to other close by communities?

I used to laugh when the folks in rural Loudoun County were fighting growth with signs saying “Don’t Fairfax Loudoun”. Then came the developers. Years later the folks in Clarke had signs that said “Don’t Loudoun Clarke”……look at it now. Most of the apple orchards are gone, the local government fights over having to build more and more schools and other public facilities. Taxes have gone sky high and all the middle income folks have been driven out.

Can’t happen here you say? I wouldn’t bet on it. When everyone is clamoring for big business to come in and save the day, you better watch out. All I can say is “be careful what you wish for, for it just might come true”.

Comment on Who Counsels the Counselors? by Gary Gibbs

Gary Gibbs — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:21:55 +0000

First off he is a damn COWARD, and needless to say a disgrace to the Army and his uniform. Skip the damn BS about his conflicted faith and drugs. After a life of leisure as a Stateside Army doctor he gets orders to a War zone and suddenly has issues. Then lo and behold he is too much of a coward to kill himself, so he kills 13 fellow soldiers (thus far) and wounds at least 30 more all UNARMED, while expecting someone to take him out of his misery.. He needs a quick courts martial and a “Public Hanging” at Ft. Leavenworth where all these murderous cowards are sent on to their last reward. My heart and prayers go out to the Army Warriors and their families who are affected by this traitors actions. What a tradgedy.

Comment on Learning about farming by Keith Stoneberger

Keith Stoneberger — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:48:56 +0000

I wanna say the USDA subsidies is the farmers version of unemployment for whatever they are farming or raising when the prices drop to a certain level. There is another subsidy program for farmers that the government will pay for farmers not to grow or raise, or grow or raise a certain amount, but I think that is for like the major farmers.

Comment on Learning about farming by Rowdy One

Rowdy One — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:28:59 +0000

If I’m not mistaken, the USDA Monies that are mentioned are for those raising beef cattle. I may be wrong but I think that is what it is for. It’s sort of an incentive to do it. I think you have to keep a certain number of cattle or turn a certain number of cattle to be eligible… I may be wrong.

Comment on Learning about farming by Rick Buxton

Rick Buxton — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:12:06 +0000

I don’t know either but it would be great to know. These farms may be on to something they can share. If one can change a practice and become eligible, it could mean more income. The government gives money for the damndest things. I bet our ag agent, Mr. Whittle, would know.

Comment on Invisible Boundaries by Rick Buxton

Rick Buxton — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:06:59 +0000

I wonder about the fears that are primal, the ones you are wired with from the start. I don’t think anyone loves the dark night. Of course there are exceptions, and this can be overcome with logic and understanding, but I think the fear is basic. Sort of like being comforted by light. In fact the lack of light can cause depression and other mental problems.
As for what we pass on to our children, I don’t know. I know parents can pass on the fear of lightning, or not. My Mom heads for the front porch in a lightning storm for the light and sound show where my uncles kids are afraid. I think this fear is a learned behavior. Come to think of it there are more than likely many. “Don’t go near the dog, it might bite you.” “Don’t talk to strangers, they might harm you”. ” Don’t trust him, he is different”. “Don’t go near the cliff, you might fall off”. Now if you are a teenage boy, all bets are off, you might take is as a challenge!

Comment on Learning about farming by Alice Richmond

Alice Richmond — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:05:37 +0000

Beth, I don’t have any more clarification. I was just having my morning coffee, and I noticed while I was surfing that this list of names came up of farms that received subsidies. I don’t know what it’s about. If you know, and can tell us, I’m sure others don’t know either.

Comment on Learning about farming by Beth Grimsley Price

Beth Grimsley Price — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:15:36 +0000

Alice:

Having grown up in Page County my entire life and hoping to one day return to this beautiful county, I would like a little more clarification on this post.