Editor, Gazette-Journal:
As a native of Mathews County, I listened with interest as a candidate for public office in Mathews spoke about a plan he favored in which $50,000 of taxpayer money would be tapped to hire someone in Mathews to write grant proposals that would bring additional “federal money” to Mathews. One such grant the candidate has in mind would be used to supplement what senior citizens are charged to take courses in area schools. In this way, seniors would be charged less than the true cost, with the shortfall covered by money seized from taxpayers in other parts of the country. I asked my candidate-friend if money would be seized from people in Tupelo, Portland and Austin.
The candidate smiled and nodded in the affirmative.
While I admire the candidate personally, and I value the friendship, I find this type of seize-and-distribute commonplace and troublesome. I hope that citizens of Mathews, and across the country, will become sensitive to what can only ...
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