Monthly Archives: July 2010
“The Mountaineer”
On May 28, 2010, I graduated from Shady Spring High School along with 206 of my peers. I had the honor of giving a speech to my class during graduation—a speech that focused on the many wonderful qualities of mountaineers and the splendor of the Great State of West Virginia. Below is the speech that I gave and a copy of my original script.
The Mountaineer – Salutatorian Speech Script
View Register-Herald article: Shady Spring seniors take next step
A Farewell to the WV Partnership
For the past couple of years, I have had the pleasure of serving on the West Virginia Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being. The WV Partnership is “A Statewide Alliance Working to Address Substance Abuse and Related Issues in West Virginia.“ I served in the capacity as a state high school student and was able to give perspective from a student’s point of view on issues involving substance abuse. Below was my letter of resignation that I gave at the second quarterly meeting of the WV Partnership:
Friday, July 16, 2010
Christian A. Martine
283 Far Country Drive
Daniels, WV 25832-9008
VIA HAND DELIVERY
Mr. Mike Lacy, Chair
WV Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being
Dear Mr. Lacy:
Pursuant to the provisions of Executive Order Number 8-04, I hereby notify you that I have graduated from Shady Spring High School and therefore no longer qualify to serve as a “representative currently a student at a State high school” on the West Virginia Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being.
Serving on the West Virginia Partnership has been an honor and a privilege during my tenure. I am proud to be a part of a group whose mission is as noble as it is essential to the continuity of the quality of life in our great State.
Through the joint cooperation of state and local leaders, the West Virginia Partnership has been and will continue to be a resource in the fight against substance abuse. I hope that I have been of service to the Governor and to the West Virginia Partnership by bringing the point of view of a student and youth activist striving for a healthier and safer life for West Virginians.
Thank you for being a wonderful facilitator to the West Virginia Partnership. I wish you and all members a blessed career of service. With kindest personal regards, I am
Very truly yours,
Christian A. Martine
cc: The Honorable Joe Manchin, III
Governor
Social In-Security
For many years, the Social Security Administration has been in need of reform. The most notorious part of the Social Security Administration is that of which insures that senior citizens will not be without some means of income when they reach retirement; however, the short-term projections of Social Security places it on the liabilities of the national budget.
How did this happen? The simplest way to look at the problem is to realize that more people are drawing from the coffers of Social Security than are depositing.
As an 18-year-old who is entering college, I am very concerned about the continuity of this program. Every month, I deposit money into a Roth IRA that is the foundation of my long-term savings. I would be much happier giving money to a privately funded retirement fund than a government program that is predicted to fail long before I ever reach retirement age.
Although serious problems are not projected until 2042, I expect the government to fulfill their contracts with each of those citizens who have paid into Social Security (for a few years or a lifetime) and for as long as the program is compulsory for all Americans. In the future, I hope that the Social Security Administration gives citizens the option to put at least some money, that would otherwise go into Social Security, into private funds.
National Do Not Call Registry
Many years ago, companies found that calling consumers at home to sell products and services was easy and inexpensive. Many consumers began to complain about harassing and frequent phone calls from telemarketers, yet had little protection from phone soliciting. The National Do Not Call Registry was formed to give consumers the choice of whether to receive telemarketing calls.
In March 11, 2003, President George W. Bush signed the Do-Not-Call Implementation Act of 2003 which led to the formation of the Do Not Call Registry. Through this legislation and the supplemental Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007, anyone may submit their home or mobile phone numbers for free to the Do Not Call Registry. By law, telemarketers covered by the registry have up to 31 days to stop calling numbers entered on the registry.
There are two ways to enter your phone numbers into the Do Not Call Registry:
- The first and original way is to call 1-888-382-1222.
- The second and most recent way is to visit www.donotcall.gov.
By using one of the two methods listed above, you will never hear from most telemarketers ever again. For more information, visit www.donotcall.gov.
