VOICE OF THE PEOPLE | NOV. 6, 2009

Drivers must pay attention to signals

I want to thank the Highway Department for installing left-turn signals at the intersection of Celanese Road and Twin Lakes Road. This has always been a dangerous place to make a turn cross-traffic from Celanese onto Twin Lakes. Now it is much safer.

However, in the two weeks since installation, I have noticed two incompetent drivers turn left under red arrows. Do they not understand that red means stop or, no, you can't turn now and must wait for green? Yes, you can turn right on red when safe, but not left.

Shirley P. Boone

Rock Hill

District should allow more sick days

The Rock Hill school district has a set number of absences for its schools. It's not enough for such a season of sicknesses.

According to the school district, students are limited to six absences of any type (including medical) in a one-unit course. To receive credit for a high-school, one-semester course, a student must attend at least 84 out of 90 days.

Usually, when I am sick, I am out for at least two to three days per sickness — if not more days. Therefore, counting maybe two or three sicknesses per semester, you're over the absence limit. If you have missed over the six-day limit, you are required to pay, by individual class, to make it up on a Saturday.

The biggest thing that gets me is that this is including a doctor's excuse. The district needs to comprehend that we are human, and we get sick. And, on top of that, we're still really kids. Give us a break.

Overall, I think the district needs to rethink the absence policy, especially considering that the swine flu and other spreading illnesses last more than six days. And, didn't the district recommend that we stay home from school when we're sick to avoid spreading the illness? It makes no sense.

Alex Culp

Rock Hil

Spratt should vote like constituents

Back in August, in Rock Hill, U.S. Rep. John Spratt told us that he would vote how his constituents wanted him to vote on the health care bill. Well, last November, his state, his county and his district voted against Mr. Obama. If he is truly going to vote for us, he will vote against the bill.

During his time as representative, he has done many good things for the people, but a vote for this bill would hurt us people who are on Medicare and have Medicare Advantage. Rep. Spratt promised that we could keep our insurance if we liked it, but we like our Medicare Advantage, and this plan is going to take it away.

There is no way this bill can pass without raising our taxes. They are going to have to pay for it somehow, and with our electricity going up, gas going up, grocery prices going up, we people on a fixed income can't afford new taxes.

Please vote as your district wants and vote against this bill.

Jim DeJacimo

Clover