WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1995

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1995

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Thanksgiving

It is time once again to take stock of all we have to be thankful for as we reach the end of the harvest season.

The beauty that surrounds us continues to bless Rappahannock County residents.

But the greatest blessing for the county remains the generous character of its citizens. Far more than most places Rappahannock runs on volunteer power. Many youth organizations depend on volunteers: the scouts, 4-H, and the growing sports programs in soccer, baseball and softball. Sunday School teachers and church youth group leaders offer moral guidance to county youth. Increasingly the schools depend on volunteers to help bridge the gap between means and ends.

Among the county’s most amazing volunteers are those who put in hours keeping our volunteer fire and rescue squads going. They not only stand ready to make the emergency runs, but they agree to take hundreds of hours of training to prepare them for these duties.

Hospice of the Rapidan, the Friends of the Rappahannock Library, the friends of the Child Care and Learning Center, the Rappahannock Association for the Arts and the Community, the Rappahannock Historical Society — all are organizations that enrich our lives and run on volunteer power.

The county and town governments are essentially run by volunteers. Some of the members of the various boards receive compensation, but it is small, and conscientious members put in many hours beyond those spent in meetings.

This is the time of year to be thankful for the many volunteers, to thank the volunteers and for more citizens to join them in making Rappahannock the special place it is.

Balancing the Budget

It is hard to take seriously the posturing in Washington, D.C. The President and members of Congress have apparently agreed to negotiate on balancing the budget in seven years. But Gramm-Rudman should have already brought us most of the way to a balanced budget.

The Congress has the power to balance the budget now. All that is needed is for the House of Representatives to appropriate no more than the Congressional Budget Office estimates the Federal government will take in during 1966. The President could veto those appropriations bills, but then he would have no money to run the government.

Instead we have proposals to pass tax cuts early in the process and put off deep cuts in spending until near the end of the seven years.

As soon as the American people are willing to ask no more of their government than they are willing to pay for in taxes, the budget will be balanced.

Editorials