In an editorial in the News Post, dated February 26, 2010, "Sacrificing Citizens for the Sacred Cow," Mr. John L. Schenk, president of NCB Inc., (a company on Hollins Road in Roanoke that sells roasted coffee), states that "the citizens of Franklin County cannot afford to balance the budget with their bank accounts any longer." He supports the argument that we got to where we are because of "poor oversight and the government mentality of we need more, never less."

He considers our Franklin County government, a "bloated bureaucracy" and that they "rob the citizens' bank account" to cover shortfalls. He notes that "school systems need to be run just like a business."

In response, I suggest Mr. Schenk take a look at the following real estate tax rate for Franklin and surrounding counties/municipalities, then again suggest that our county government is bloated. I might just be a country boy, but it looks to me that Franklin is on the bottom of the list.

I am a parent of two in the Sontag area of Rocky Mount. I have a kindergartner and a sixth grader. I am well aware of the fact that there needs to be cuts made to save money in our area, but the programs that the school board is considering cutting are classes that are needed! My son has played sandlot football for six years, and I was looking so forward to the fact that finally, after all these years, he would be able to wear our county colors and play for the school. Now I understand that there will be no more middle school sports. These sports keep these kids out of trouble and focused. It gives them a place to relieve stress and tension. It also helps these kids get into good colleges.

If we don't have sports for recruiters to come and watch these kids play, then we have no sports scholarships, which are the way that helps these kids get into good colleges to get a good education. I know that unless my children get sports scholarships, then I will not be able to afford college.

The Fifth District needs a representative in Congress who will work hard to curb out-of-control spending, downsize wasteful government bureaucracies and stop the Obama/Pelosi/Reid drive to make America a socialistic state.

State Sen. Robert Hurt is the representative we need to put our nation back on the successful track established by the Founding Fathers.

Hurt has established a solid record of conservatism, while serving as both a Delegate and Senator in Richmond. He is working closely with Gov. Bob McDonnell and Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling to get control of spending and create real jobs for Virginians. Hurt sponsored a key bill in the McDonnell legislative package that will increase incentives for businesses to hire new workers. And he has voted dozens of times as a legislator to cut taxes.

My friend Paul Corn and I have been arguing politics for many years, and as usual, he wants to define the role of government in terms that somehow dignify and applaud the proponents of do-nothing (limited) government and denigrate the proponents of do-something (progressive) government.

His assertion that there are progressive-government-leaning Republicans and limited-government-learning Democrats is absolutely correct. These are the elected representatives that are, upon occasion, able to get something valuable accomplished.

This letter is in regards to recent comments in this newspaper pertaining to my service on the special jury.

I have "no ax to grind" with Sheriff Hunt. Ewell Hunt and I have always gotten along fine, going back to our days as classmates at Franklin County High School.

Yes, I made the personal mistake 17 years ago of running for elected office, and I found out pretty quickly that I "am not a political animal."

I attended the school board meeting with my wife to offer moral support while she gave the presentation about the FCHS attendance policy. She was allowed five minutes. School board members and staff did not respond to anything she said. (We were told ahead of time that they would not.)

Actually recording the presentation was not allowed. And since she did all the talking for the allotted five minutes, there was nothing different to report.