Sen. Hagan is for the people, not big money
 

Sen. Hagan is for the people, not big money

To the Editor: Sen. Kay Hagan’s path to Washington began in high school when she helped elect her uncle Lawton Chiles…
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County oversteps its authority
 

County oversteps its authority

To the Editor: The Haywood County Emergency Management Ordinance was signed into effect Nov. 16, 2009, by J.W. “Kirk” Kirkpatrick,…
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Comment

Kids can endure a little stress
 

Kids can endure a little stress

To the Editor: Wondering what all the fuss is over the use of Common Core standards in school, I looked…
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Comment

Enough of the labels, I’ve got band practice
 

Enough of the labels, I’ve got band practice

Words sometimes change meaning. It may take a few years, but it happens, and it especially happens in politics. A…
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Comment

Vouchers won’t help low-income families
 

Vouchers won’t help low-income families

To the Editor: Recently, I became curious about the N.C. Opportunity Scholarships (a new name for vouchers) that are being…
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Comment

Voting challenges may overwhelm system
 

Voting challenges may overwhelm system

To the Editor: It should be reassuring that so many groups are concerned about “voter integrity” on Election Day, making…
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Comment

Create Eden, drop animal products
 

Create Eden, drop animal products

To the Editor: TV host Glenn Beck and other stalwarts of the Christian right have attacked the recent blockbuster “Noah”as…
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Comment

Rep. Presnell will get my vote again
 

Rep. Presnell will get my vote again

To the Editor: We must speak out against this proposed room tax increase. The county leaders may want it, but…
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Comment

Has Rep. Presnell lost her memory?
 

Has Rep. Presnell lost her memory?

To the Editor:  In a recent article about the sad state of North Carolina teacher salaries, Rep. Michele Presnell was…
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Comment

There are reasons for Presnell’s opposition
 

There are reasons for Presnell’s opposition

To the Editor: I find it noteworthy that in the March 26 column on Rep. Michele Presnell’s opposition to the…
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Comment

Support fair trade but beware free trade
 

Support fair trade but beware free trade

By Doug Wingeier • Columnist For some years now I have been promoting fair trade products as a means of…
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Comment

You often get the results that you plan for
 

You often get the results that you plan for

To the Editor: Here is what I think about Jackson County’s revised steep slope ordinance: self-serving, self-serving and self-serving. But…
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Comment

What’s up with all the litter in Haywood?
 

What’s up with all the litter in Haywood?

To the Editor: Just an observation that I am sure others have made also, but what about all the trash…
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Comment

Election laws target the wrong groups
 

Election laws target the wrong groups

To the Editor: I attended a political club meeting last night. I purchased tickets for a fundraiser — a dinner…
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Comment

The enduring myth of welfare cheats
 

The enduring myth of welfare cheats

To the Editor: Welfare cheats. It seems that every conservative has a favorite story about how someone on public assistance…
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Comment

To shoot or not to shoot?
 

To shoot or not to shoot?

To the Editor: Every two or three years I read in the newspaper that a homeowner shot an intruder. Typically,…
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Comment

In Rep. Presnell’s view, it’s local leaders be damned
 

In Rep. Presnell’s view, it’s local leaders be damned

Some teacher a long time ago explained to my class of intro to political science undergrads the difference between a…
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Comment

Politics does make strange bedfellows
 

Politics does make strange bedfellows

To the Editor: Politics does indeed make strange bedfellows. The recent edition of The Smoky Mountain news said this: “Carla…
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Comment

Robinson will support education, teachers
 

Robinson will support education, teachers

To the Editor: As I discuss the upcoming District 50 senatorial campaign with my neighbors, it is becoming clear to…
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Comment

Dealing with those who are just ‘wrong’
 

Dealing with those who are just ‘wrong’

By Doug Wingeier • Columnist Recently my wife and I attended the showing of a documentary film on animal rights.…
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Comment

Spring beckons, but don’t forget the moment
 

Spring beckons, but don’t forget the moment

By John Beckman • Columnist After the hard winter of sub-zero temperatures, heavy snows and power outages our region and much…
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Comment

It’s not really about Obamacare
 

It’s not really about Obamacare

To the Editor: The drumbeat of complaints about the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) from the political right wing leave me…
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Comment

Elect Robinson to replace Sen. Davis
 

Elect Robinson to replace Sen. Davis

To the Editor: I’m writing as a citizen and resident of Jackson County to voice my support for Ron Robinson…
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Comment

Government is always less efficient
 

Government is always less efficient

To the Editor: I was having an otherwise intelligent conversation with one of my more liberal acquaintances the other day…
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Comment

This state’s GOP has violated the Voting Rights Act
 

This state’s GOP has violated the Voting Rights Act

By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist Even authoritarian regimes like Russia’s pretend to respect the right to vote. The contrast with…
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Comment

Ron Robinson supports education for all
 

Ron Robinson supports education for all

To the Editor: Ron Robinson, a Democrat and Sylva businessman, has launched his campaign to become the next senator from…
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Comment

Do not encroach on our freedoms
 

Do not encroach on our freedoms

To the Editor: Our basic freedoms in the Bill of Rights are encroached on almost daily by some branch of…
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Comment

N.C. 107 is a plain disaster
 

N.C. 107 is a plain disaster

To the Editor: Jackson County's main business corridor, Highway 107 South, is a disaster.   By allowing all the main…
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Comment

Local tourism leaders aren’t qualified
 

Local tourism leaders aren’t qualified

To the Editor: In response to Mr. Robert Jumper's letter in the Feb. 19 edition and the Jackson County TDA,…
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Comment

Ridgetop houses are too common
 

Ridgetop houses are too common

To the Editor: Regarding Clark Lipkin's guest opinion column in the Feb. 26 opinion, I find it incredulous that he…
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Comment

Tools to help cope with an uncertain future
 

Tools to help cope with an uncertain future

“The less you know, the more you believe.” – Bono Quality journalism is a powerful force. I’ve been fortunate to…
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Comment

We are doomed to repeat history
 

We are doomed to repeat history

To the Editor: We repeat our mistakes because we never seem to learn the lessons of history and, in our…
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Comment

Just look at what the Tea Party is doing
 

Just look at what the Tea Party is doing

To the Editor: The letter saying the Tea Party is making changes is correct, but let’s look at the changes…
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Comment

Foundation should aid Good Samaritan Clinic
 

Foundation should aid Good Samaritan Clinic

To the Editor: The Haywood Regional Hospital Foundation need look no further than The Good Samaritan Clinic. The support of…
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Comment

Everyone wants to protect the mountains
 

Everyone wants to protect the mountains

To the Editor: Everyone in Jackson County needs to know there was an overflow crowd at the public hearing on…
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Comment

Our schools deserve better than this
 

Our schools deserve better than this

To the Editor: Sixty-nine school boards across this state joined with the State Board of Education in challenging the constitutionality…
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Comment

Reasonable people can disagree on development ordinance
 

Reasonable people can disagree on development ordinance

By Clark Lipkin • Guest Columnist I am the vice chairman of the Jackson County Planning Board. I presided over…
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Comment

My family will miss the Shoney’s on the hill
 

My family will miss the Shoney’s on the hill

If someone had told me 30 years ago that someday I’d be sentimental about a Shoney’s restaurant closing down, I…
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Comment

Jackson TDA working hard for the county
 

Jackson TDA working hard for the county

Letter to the Editor: While I currently serve as chairperson of the Jackson County Tourism Development Authority, I wish to…
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Comment

Haywood room tax hike just a bad idea
 

Haywood room tax hike just a bad idea

To the Editor: I see the notion to hike the Haywood County bed tax by 50 percent has risen again.…
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Comment

The TEA Party is who is making change
 

The TEA Party is who is making change

To the Editor: Recent elections in Haywood County have seen Republicans getting elected. Some of this activity is due in…
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Comment

Fracking firms don’t care about rights
 

Fracking firms don’t care about rights

To the Editor: Here are just a couple thoughts about fracking. My home water supply is spring fed, and I’ve…
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Comment

Pat the polluter is helping old friends
 

Pat the polluter is helping old friends

To the Editor: The old cliché of follow the money continues to be true, and now it’s close to home.…
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Comment

GOP pulls a fast one on ‘tax cuts’
 

GOP pulls a fast one on ‘tax cuts’

To the Editor: I hate paying taxes. So when someone promises to lower my taxes, they have my attention. Most…
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Comment

Don’t fix what isn’t broken
 

Don’t fix what isn’t broken

To the Editor: We have heard much from GOP Gov. Pat McCrory and some leaders in the state legislature about…
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Comment

Nothing wrong with teacher pay plan
 

Nothing wrong with teacher pay plan

To the Editor: Regarding the plan to give some teaches a pay raise: I cannot for the life of me…
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Comment

Visualizing the options for growth
 

Visualizing the options for growth

By Ben Brown • Guest Columnist Think of it as a starter kit for a comprehensive business plan for North Carolina’s…
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Comment

Democratic whining ignores progress
 

Democratic whining ignores progress

To the Editor: Some parts of Western North Carolina are loaded with socialist agenda people, especially in Asheville and Cullowhee. …
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Comment

Article misstated my views on slope rewrite
 

Article misstated my views on slope rewrite

To the Editor: I want to thank The Smoky Mountain News for the  article in the Feb 5 edition (www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/12419)…
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Comment

Moral March is not a moment, but a movement
 

Moral March is not a moment, but a movement

By Doug Wingeier • Columnist As I write this, I have just returned from a tiring but exhilarating day participating in the Moral…
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