To the Editor,
Over the last number of months I have watched with disbelief the building of the new offices for the Department of Social Services. Would someone please explain the need for a glass palace to house an agency geared to help the needy?
That was $18.5 million in taxpayer dollars used to build a show place to distribute more taxpayer dollars. There is great need in Robeson County during these hard economic times, but there is also a large population that I would call the “entitlement society.” When will our leaders, from the county to the federal government, realize that each and every dollar that they have to spend, represents the hard work of an individual?
No one should be handed a check when they could work, and no fancy building should be built when a low-cost, utilitarian one would serve as well.
When will our officials get the message that taxpayers are fed up with over-spending and lack of regard for the hardworking, budgeting, worrying voter who lies awake at night wondering, if they will be able to feed their family and put gas in the car that takes them to work to earn more tax dollars?
Evelyn Smith
Lumberton
I have worked with some of MetCONs subcontractors, and their game is to underbid intentionally everyone and then squeeze the subs or get the money back in change orders. When you have a willing owner (the tribe, the cuunty, or the university) then its not hard at all to get all the change orders you want. Have seen some of the bid tabs from bid oepenings, and after MetCON eneds up with all their change orders, the owner could have hired the highest bidder for less than the money paid to MetCON. This firm and its relationships need to be investigated.