Greensboro speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Mar. 17, 2023
- Updated
Our weekly round-up of letters published in the Greensboro News and Record.
Not pro-life
So, our recent member of Congress, Mr. Walker, decided to weigh in on the abortion issue (March 12). He claimed he is “pro-life.”
I beg to differ with Mr. Walker. Mr. Walker and his like-minded friends are not pro-life, but pro-birth. There was no mention in his article about helping poor and working-class families feed, clothe and house any new family members, let alone themselves.
Until conservatives rid themselves of the Marie Antoinette, i.e., “Let them eat cake,” attitude toward poor and working-class families, they will never truly be pro-life, but only pro-birth.
Also, for those of you who have a boss, Mr. Walker is also a fan of the right to work, or at-will employment, concept.
And lastly, the allegedly “new and improved” puzzle and comics page still stinks.
Jim Galler
Stokesdale
Doubting Thomas
The column by Cal Thomas in today’s (March 13) paper should win him another Pinocchio award. He uses the usual gaslightings, false equivalencies and contextual distortions that characterize modern-day conservative editorialists. If his narrative weren’t so dangerous, we could just laugh off his stream of consciousness as that of another angry old man.
He defends Tucker Carlson’s cut-and-paste version of American history. He gaslights Rachel Maddow, who questions why Carlson’s Fox News is the only media outlet to be given the Jan. 6 video footage from Congress. He then moves on to suggest that Carlson’s edited version of Jan. 6 is the equivalent of months of testimony on Capitol Hill. He ends by suggesting that Carlson’s snippets out of context constitute free speech.
Many Americans watched in disbelief on Jan. 6 as our Capitol institutions were assaulted. We don’t need Tucker Carlson’s distortions to know what happened. And we should be insulted that conservatives continue to deny what so many of us witnessed in real time.
Kurt Lauenstein
Greensboro
Misleading ‘option’
On Sunday the News & Record published an anti-abortion opinion by former Congressman Mark Walker. At the end of this column, with information about the author, is a recommendedation that people facing unexpected pregnancy contact a service called Option Line.
This segment appears to be written in the voice of the News & Record, but readers should know that Option Line purports to be an objective resource about pregnancy options, including abortion. However, its information about abortion is biased, and it refers clients only to other anti-abortion centers, never to actual abortion providers.
There is no need to take the word of pro-choice groups on this point: the true nature of Option Line can be verified by looking at the website of Heartbeat International, the anti-abortion group that runs Option Line. On their page about Option Line, Heartbeat is open about its true purpose to “rescue” people from abortion.
People seeking real information about abortion services in Greensboro can contact A Woman’s Choice at 1-800-298-8874.
Allen McBride
Greensboro
Time to change
“Spring forward. Fall back.” Establish one officially and stop the confusion and the abuse of our body clocks.
It takes only a short period of time for Mother Nature to accomplish naturally what the clock attempts to do artificially.
H.C. Roethling
Greensboro
Socialist myths
Byron Williams (“Socialism: a Molotov cocktail in public discourse,” Feb. 19) believes that “socialist principles in the form of government bailouts saved certain institutions deemed ‘Too Big to Fail.’” He was referring to the financial crisis of 2008, which was not saved by socialist principles, despite Williams’ insistence otherwise, but was actually caused by them.
Confusion about socialism is there by design. Socialism can be summed up as “governmentalism,” a system devoid of those inalienable rights that come from the Creator which under socialism are granted only by the state.
The 2008 crisis was blamed on capitalism. That was not the case. Even an article in a vaunted left-leaning publication — The Atlantic — identified government as the cause (“Hey Barney Frank: The Government Did Cause the Housing Crisis,” Dec. 13, 2011).
Indeed, government laws and policies stretching back to the New Deal and culminating in the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 — not to mention the repeal of Glass-Steagall —laid the groundwork for what befell the country in 2008.
Ironically, millennials — the age group hit hardest by the crisis — are the ones most enamored of —yet also most confused about — socialism. According to a HuffPost article (April 11, 2017) millennials view communism and socialism “as an alternative to the disasters capitalism has created.”
However, a millennial study conducted by the Cato Institute Dec. 15, 2016) found that when socialism is framed as government running Uber, Amazon, Facebook, etc., “socialism does not go over well.”
And well it does not. Ever.
Romaine Worster
Greensboro
‘Don’t Say Gay’?
I have sent in some letters to the News & Record to publish, only to receive a note that I was getting a fact wrong, and that either I had to adjust the letter or it would not be printed.
I can’t help but to wonder if you hold those with a different (meaning liberal) point of view to a different standard. Actually, I don’t have to wonder about it.
The N&R shows its different “rules” frequently. At least four times in recent issues, I have seen the bill in Florida, which prohibits teaching gender identity to kids between the ages of 5 and 10, called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Never in that bill is the word “gay” mentioned, much less the fact you can’t say the word.
I can imagine your defense will be that is what the bill’s detractors have called it, which further proves my point: They call it that because the basic tenets of the bill make perfect sense. So they adjust it and call it the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
For a newspaper that demands such total adherence to facts from someone who dares to promote a conservative point of view one must wonder why you don’t hold people with a leftist slant to the same standard.
Fred Pearlman Greensboro
Listen to them
It’s heartening to see nationally recognized professors here in Greensboro challenge and question state policies and local management of financial resources in higher education. Who is better equipped to question, analyze and come up with solutions to vexing problems than those who have invested their lives in education to pursue the truth and pass it along to the next generation?
I taught at UNCG for more than 20 years before recently retiring, was Faculty Senate chair, and was elected to the UNC System’s executive committee of the Faculty Assembly. In those capacities, I saw dedicated, smart faculty work beyond their specific job duties to advance the mission of education for a democracy. Kudos to the rapidly growing number of members in UNCG’s chapter of the Association of American University Professors (AAUP) for raising their voices, collecting data, conducting research and advocating for sustaining the critical role of education for the next generation.
Why then, are these professors being stonewalled? Why won’t state leaders and college administrators listen to the most experienced in these very issues to find solutions together to perplexing matters? What could possibly be more important than people working to ensure that our universities flourish, modeling the best kind of civic engagement for students?
The faculty and staff are in unique positions to contribute to these critical conversations. UNCG and the state’s Board of Governors ought to listen to them.
Spoma Jovanovic
Greensboro
Stop meddling
The N.C. legislature should stay out of local voting issues. A few years ago, the legislature redrew Guilford County school board voting districts and made those elections partisan, which has been a disaster for the Board of Education, teachers and students.
The N.C. House of Representatives is now interfering with the voting districts in Wake County, passing a bill that would shift Wake County from an at-large to a district voting system. The bill was proposed by Erin Pare, Wake County’s only Republican state representative, and her intent seems clear: to give Republicans a better chance of getting elected to the Wake County Board of Commissioners.
Why would a district system help Republicans? Because they are outnumbered in Wake, Republicans are at a perpetual disadvantage if all county residents vote for all the candidates. Moving to a district system would give Republican candidates a much better chance of getting elected.
In 2022, the League of Women Voters of North Carolina issued a report on district voting in counties across the state. The most dramatic takeaway is that more than one-third of North Carolina counties still have at-large systems that make it very difficult for African Americans and other minorities to elect people who represent their interests.
Although the Wake County bill was put forward to reduce the Democratic Party advantage, the underlying principle is that district voting systems are generally more fair, allowing greater participation in the electoral process.
Gary Kenton
Greensboro
Victim blaming
A letter writer asks why school board nominee Michael Logan’s statement about Derek Chauvin was so offensive (“I don’t get it,” March 9). It is heartbreaking that he must ask.
He is clearly ahistorical. The narrative that blames the victim of abuse and oppression for their own circumstance is powerful and requires an arrogance that makes it impossible to understand the plight of our fellow human beings.
It makes it impossible to see the effects of slavery and Jim Crow, redlining, voter suppression, health disparity and yes, disparity in educational outcomes.
To say one and the same time George Floyd’s death was “unnecessary and tragic” and that it was his own fault, and further, he could have saved us such anguish, seems more than a little disingenuous.
It is the same narrative that directs men who abuse women to say it is because women did something wrong.
That same narrative holds for parents who abuse children, police who abuse power, lawmakers who fail to acknowledge all people as fully human.
It is the narrative that twists the notion of personal responsibility and ensures it is always someone else’s.
It is a narrative inconsistent with our American ideals and should prick our conscience. It is fundamentally a way not to face our enormous problem of injustice and wrongdoing.
We can do better than this. We are better than this.
Monica Walker
Greensboro
Kudos to GCS
My daughter will start kindergarten in the Guilford County school system in August. She’s our first to go to school, so naturally we are nervous.
Mostly though, we are excited. Public school is such a gift. Having access to free, quality education is life-changing. She will be among her peers and learn from professional educators.
As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child and sending her to public school is expanding our village in the most incredible way.
Thank you to our hardworking teachers, administrators and school board for being our village.
We see you, we support you, we need you. Long live public education!
Susie Williams
Greensboro
Pick someone else
I am part of the Greensboro community, have family attending Guilford county schools, and want to add my support to the many standing with the Board of Education members who have rejected Michael Logan’s nomination as the representative for District 3.
It is a courageous stand for the things in which I, too, believe, including the fair treatment of all students and a stand against racial prejudice. I support decision-making to ensure these things, as it is critical for safe and healthy schools where all of our children can thrive.
The change in the law to give the party of the departing member the complete say in their replacement will work for the Republicans today but perhaps for Democrats tomorrow. It enables continued politicalization of the Board of Education and time spent on winning rather than in considered, rational thought on how to solve the system’s many problems and inequities.
I, like many others, ask the Republican Party to nominate one of the numerous Republicans who could contribute to fair and unbiased decision-making. All of our students would be the beneficiaries of such action.
Alyson Baumgartner
Greensboro
A better way?
A second big wreck in a week has just occurred on Cone Boulevard between Cleburne Street and Marston Road. I hate to think what’s going to happen when Koury builds more than 400 high-rise apartments on a beautiful parcel of land on Cone Boulevard. It is interesting to note that the person who spoke so eloquently in favor of Koury’s project proposal has moved away.
Now the city is proposing changes to regulations to now allow non-owner-occupied short-term rentals. The city, the commissioners and the zoning commission obviously only listen to big money.
How about some single-family homes or even townhomes with a park — call it Koury Park — with beautiful walking paths on Cone Boulevard? We could use a park in this area, and this would be more in line with what already is an established neighborhood.
Maybe people would slow down and admire the park.
Tennie Skladanowski
Greensboro
Not his fault
I listen to Joe Biden make speeches about the border, inflation, gas prices, Afghanistan, Ukraine, the stock market and anything his administration does.
All of these problems are Trump’s fault or someone else’s — anyone except his administration. He has been president for more than two years and has done nothing about Trump’s messes.
Example: The “Inflation Reduction Act.” Funny, but inflation is still 6.4%. Go figure.
J.P. Lester
Reidsville
Already treated
For several years, I’ve worked with dedicated groups, such as Down Home NC and the Health Advocacy Project, in pushing for Medicaid expansion.
One objection to Medicaid expansion from state legislators is that we don’t have enough health care staff to care for more insured citizens. Recently, a Republican senator we visited questioned, “What will we do when we have more insured patients since emergency rooms are full already?”
This is shortsighted and unfounded. We are already treating uninsured North Carolinians regularly in emergency rooms (ERs) since ERs cannot turn patients away. Emergent medical issues are often chronic conditions that could be managed effectively if treated earlier. This would save money by keeping people out of the ER, which is the most expensive form of health care. We are already using health care dollars to care for uninsured patients and these funds just need efficient redistribution to manage newly insured patients.
As a physician, I know that health care is slow to change. However, the pandemic showed that the system is capable of change in a timely fashion with enough pressure. It seems as if virtual visits were suddenly available at every medical office! We can change delivery models to manage patients under Medicaid expansion.
Joel Gallagher
Greensboro
Dog whistle
Anne Harden Tindall (column, “NC Supreme Court needs to walk back from the ledge and uphold Harper v. Hall,” column,” March 16) , or anyone else who professes to want voter, and election integrity, should be all in for strict voter ID. But they aren’t.
Complaining how districts are drawn is just a dog whistle and smokescreen. Making sure people are qualified to vote is not in the left’s interest. They just want favorable numbers, qualified or not.
That’s just hypocritical, and hypocrisy ain’t pretty.
Tom Ozment
Jamestown
Greensboro’s Safest
We as Americans have become more dutiful in recognizing valuable services provided by public servants. Along with America’s Bravest and America’s Finest, we have the privilege March 18 to acknowledge the service of “America’s Safest.”
National Transit Driver Appreciation Day, or TDAD, was first established in Paris in 1662. The title “driver” has evolved to “operator,” reflecting the responsibilities far exceeding keeping a vehicle between the lines.
The modern bus operator assumes full responsibility for a 35-ton vehicle and the lives on board. Pre-trip inspections and ongoing awareness of his or her surroundings enhance the safety of all inside and outside of the vehicle … all while directing passengers to their destinations. There is physical support as well for persons with disabilities who need assistance with boarding, wheelchair securement and even escorts to their door.
Recently, TDAD recognition has been shared with another unsung group: transit maintenance and service workers. While operators are the daily faces of the transit system, their service would not exist without the behind-the-scenes workers conducting maintenance, damage repair, cleaning and more. Hand in hand, our maintenance and operators offer the best to our city.
GTA is recognizing our transit “superheroes” on Friday, March 17, with food, gifts and more. You can participate by submitting a message of gratitude at ridegta.com, where it will be shared with them and on our Youtube site @gtaheat. In short, it’s a wheely good time to recognize Greensboro’s Safest.
Happy #TDAD!
Lisa McMillan
Greensboro
The writer is chair of the Greensboro Transportation Advisory Commission.
Abortion is health care
As the North Carolina legislature begins its session, instead of increasing abortion restrictions it should be focused on making abortion more accessible in this state.
Abortion has been widely studied and shown to be eminently safe. But adding an arbitrary ban after a certain gestational age, as well as putting impediments in the path to obtaining a procedure, not only is economically harmful to women but also increases the risks of problems. The mandatory 72-hour waiting period in North Carolina presumes that, with the “correct” information, a woman will change her mind and choose to continue the pregnancy. Sixty percent of women seeking an abortion are already mothers, so they well know their options — and only they know their life circumstances.
As a former abortion and family planning provider, I can attest to the fact that most women know right away what they want to do. Sometimes these decisions are easy; sometimes they are more difficult — but, bottom line, they should be made solely by the woman and her health care provider, not politicians.
Abortion is health care; bans and restrictions are unwarranted, unjust and downright harmful.
Debra Teplin
Durham
More like this...
Not pro-life
So, our recent member of Congress, Mr. Walker, decided to weigh in on the abortion issue (March 12). He claimed he is “pro-life.”
I beg to differ with Mr. Walker. Mr. Walker and his like-minded friends are not pro-life, but pro-birth. There was no mention in his article about helping poor and working-class families feed, clothe and house any new family members, let alone themselves.
Until conservatives rid themselves of the Marie Antoinette, i.e., “Let them eat cake,” attitude toward poor and working-class families, they will never truly be pro-life, but only pro-birth.
Also, for those of you who have a boss, Mr. Walker is also a fan of the right to work, or at-will employment, concept.
And lastly, the allegedly “new and improved” puzzle and comics page still stinks.
Jim Galler
Stokesdale
Doubting Thomas
The column by Cal Thomas in today’s (March 13) paper should win him another Pinocchio award. He uses the usual gaslightings, false equivalencies and contextual distortions that characterize modern-day conservative editorialists. If his narrative weren’t so dangerous, we could just laugh off his stream of consciousness as that of another angry old man.
He defends Tucker Carlson’s cut-and-paste version of American history. He gaslights Rachel Maddow, who questions why Carlson’s Fox News is the only media outlet to be given the Jan. 6 video footage from Congress. He then moves on to suggest that Carlson’s edited version of Jan. 6 is the equivalent of months of testimony on Capitol Hill. He ends by suggesting that Carlson’s snippets out of context constitute free speech.
Many Americans watched in disbelief on Jan. 6 as our Capitol institutions were assaulted. We don’t need Tucker Carlson’s distortions to know what happened. And we should be insulted that conservatives continue to deny what so many of us witnessed in real time.
Kurt Lauenstein
Greensboro
Misleading ‘option’
On Sunday the News & Record published an anti-abortion opinion by former Congressman Mark Walker. At the end of this column, with information about the author, is a recommendedation that people facing unexpected pregnancy contact a service called Option Line.
This segment appears to be written in the voice of the News & Record, but readers should know that Option Line purports to be an objective resource about pregnancy options, including abortion. However, its information about abortion is biased, and it refers clients only to other anti-abortion centers, never to actual abortion providers.
There is no need to take the word of pro-choice groups on this point: the true nature of Option Line can be verified by looking at the website of Heartbeat International, the anti-abortion group that runs Option Line. On their page about Option Line, Heartbeat is open about its true purpose to “rescue” people from abortion.
People seeking real information about abortion services in Greensboro can contact A Woman’s Choice at 1-800-298-8874.
Allen McBride
Greensboro
Time to change
“Spring forward. Fall back.” Establish one officially and stop the confusion and the abuse of our body clocks.
It takes only a short period of time for Mother Nature to accomplish naturally what the clock attempts to do artificially.
H.C. Roethling
Greensboro
Socialist myths
Byron Williams (“Socialism: a Molotov cocktail in public discourse,” Feb. 19) believes that “socialist principles in the form of government bailouts saved certain institutions deemed ‘Too Big to Fail.’” He was referring to the financial crisis of 2008, which was not saved by socialist principles, despite Williams’ insistence otherwise, but was actually caused by them.
Confusion about socialism is there by design. Socialism can be summed up as “governmentalism,” a system devoid of those inalienable rights that come from the Creator which under socialism are granted only by the state.
The 2008 crisis was blamed on capitalism. That was not the case. Even an article in a vaunted left-leaning publication — The Atlantic — identified government as the cause (“Hey Barney Frank: The Government Did Cause the Housing Crisis,” Dec. 13, 2011).
Indeed, government laws and policies stretching back to the New Deal and culminating in the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 — not to mention the repeal of Glass-Steagall —laid the groundwork for what befell the country in 2008.
Ironically, millennials — the age group hit hardest by the crisis — are the ones most enamored of —yet also most confused about — socialism. According to a HuffPost article (April 11, 2017) millennials view communism and socialism “as an alternative to the disasters capitalism has created.”
However, a millennial study conducted by the Cato Institute Dec. 15, 2016) found that when socialism is framed as government running Uber, Amazon, Facebook, etc., “socialism does not go over well.”
And well it does not. Ever.
Romaine Worster
Greensboro
‘Don’t Say Gay’?
I have sent in some letters to the News & Record to publish, only to receive a note that I was getting a fact wrong, and that either I had to adjust the letter or it would not be printed.
I can’t help but to wonder if you hold those with a different (meaning liberal) point of view to a different standard. Actually, I don’t have to wonder about it.
The N&R shows its different “rules” frequently. At least four times in recent issues, I have seen the bill in Florida, which prohibits teaching gender identity to kids between the ages of 5 and 10, called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Never in that bill is the word “gay” mentioned, much less the fact you can’t say the word.
I can imagine your defense will be that is what the bill’s detractors have called it, which further proves my point: They call it that because the basic tenets of the bill make perfect sense. So they adjust it and call it the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
For a newspaper that demands such total adherence to facts from someone who dares to promote a conservative point of view one must wonder why you don’t hold people with a leftist slant to the same standard.
Fred Pearlman Greensboro
Listen to them
It’s heartening to see nationally recognized professors here in Greensboro challenge and question state policies and local management of financial resources in higher education. Who is better equipped to question, analyze and come up with solutions to vexing problems than those who have invested their lives in education to pursue the truth and pass it along to the next generation?
I taught at UNCG for more than 20 years before recently retiring, was Faculty Senate chair, and was elected to the UNC System’s executive committee of the Faculty Assembly. In those capacities, I saw dedicated, smart faculty work beyond their specific job duties to advance the mission of education for a democracy. Kudos to the rapidly growing number of members in UNCG’s chapter of the Association of American University Professors (AAUP) for raising their voices, collecting data, conducting research and advocating for sustaining the critical role of education for the next generation.
Why then, are these professors being stonewalled? Why won’t state leaders and college administrators listen to the most experienced in these very issues to find solutions together to perplexing matters? What could possibly be more important than people working to ensure that our universities flourish, modeling the best kind of civic engagement for students?
The faculty and staff are in unique positions to contribute to these critical conversations. UNCG and the state’s Board of Governors ought to listen to them.
Spoma Jovanovic
Greensboro
Stop meddling
The N.C. legislature should stay out of local voting issues. A few years ago, the legislature redrew Guilford County school board voting districts and made those elections partisan, which has been a disaster for the Board of Education, teachers and students.
The N.C. House of Representatives is now interfering with the voting districts in Wake County, passing a bill that would shift Wake County from an at-large to a district voting system. The bill was proposed by Erin Pare, Wake County’s only Republican state representative, and her intent seems clear: to give Republicans a better chance of getting elected to the Wake County Board of Commissioners.
Why would a district system help Republicans? Because they are outnumbered in Wake, Republicans are at a perpetual disadvantage if all county residents vote for all the candidates. Moving to a district system would give Republican candidates a much better chance of getting elected.
In 2022, the League of Women Voters of North Carolina issued a report on district voting in counties across the state. The most dramatic takeaway is that more than one-third of North Carolina counties still have at-large systems that make it very difficult for African Americans and other minorities to elect people who represent their interests.
Although the Wake County bill was put forward to reduce the Democratic Party advantage, the underlying principle is that district voting systems are generally more fair, allowing greater participation in the electoral process.
Gary Kenton
Greensboro
Victim blaming
A letter writer asks why school board nominee Michael Logan’s statement about Derek Chauvin was so offensive (“I don’t get it,” March 9). It is heartbreaking that he must ask.
He is clearly ahistorical. The narrative that blames the victim of abuse and oppression for their own circumstance is powerful and requires an arrogance that makes it impossible to understand the plight of our fellow human beings.
It makes it impossible to see the effects of slavery and Jim Crow, redlining, voter suppression, health disparity and yes, disparity in educational outcomes.
To say one and the same time George Floyd’s death was “unnecessary and tragic” and that it was his own fault, and further, he could have saved us such anguish, seems more than a little disingenuous.
It is the same narrative that directs men who abuse women to say it is because women did something wrong.
That same narrative holds for parents who abuse children, police who abuse power, lawmakers who fail to acknowledge all people as fully human.
It is the narrative that twists the notion of personal responsibility and ensures it is always someone else’s.
It is a narrative inconsistent with our American ideals and should prick our conscience. It is fundamentally a way not to face our enormous problem of injustice and wrongdoing.
We can do better than this. We are better than this.
Monica Walker
Greensboro
Kudos to GCS
My daughter will start kindergarten in the Guilford County school system in August. She’s our first to go to school, so naturally we are nervous.
Mostly though, we are excited. Public school is such a gift. Having access to free, quality education is life-changing. She will be among her peers and learn from professional educators.
As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child and sending her to public school is expanding our village in the most incredible way.
Thank you to our hardworking teachers, administrators and school board for being our village.
We see you, we support you, we need you. Long live public education!
Susie Williams
Greensboro
Pick someone else
I am part of the Greensboro community, have family attending Guilford county schools, and want to add my support to the many standing with the Board of Education members who have rejected Michael Logan’s nomination as the representative for District 3.
It is a courageous stand for the things in which I, too, believe, including the fair treatment of all students and a stand against racial prejudice. I support decision-making to ensure these things, as it is critical for safe and healthy schools where all of our children can thrive.
The change in the law to give the party of the departing member the complete say in their replacement will work for the Republicans today but perhaps for Democrats tomorrow. It enables continued politicalization of the Board of Education and time spent on winning rather than in considered, rational thought on how to solve the system’s many problems and inequities.
I, like many others, ask the Republican Party to nominate one of the numerous Republicans who could contribute to fair and unbiased decision-making. All of our students would be the beneficiaries of such action.
Alyson Baumgartner
Greensboro
A better way?
A second big wreck in a week has just occurred on Cone Boulevard between Cleburne Street and Marston Road. I hate to think what’s going to happen when Koury builds more than 400 high-rise apartments on a beautiful parcel of land on Cone Boulevard. It is interesting to note that the person who spoke so eloquently in favor of Koury’s project proposal has moved away.
Now the city is proposing changes to regulations to now allow non-owner-occupied short-term rentals. The city, the commissioners and the zoning commission obviously only listen to big money.
How about some single-family homes or even townhomes with a park — call it Koury Park — with beautiful walking paths on Cone Boulevard? We could use a park in this area, and this would be more in line with what already is an established neighborhood.
Maybe people would slow down and admire the park.
Tennie Skladanowski
Greensboro
Not his fault
I listen to Joe Biden make speeches about the border, inflation, gas prices, Afghanistan, Ukraine, the stock market and anything his administration does.
All of these problems are Trump’s fault or someone else’s — anyone except his administration. He has been president for more than two years and has done nothing about Trump’s messes.
Example: The “Inflation Reduction Act.” Funny, but inflation is still 6.4%. Go figure.
J.P. Lester
Reidsville
Already treated
For several years, I’ve worked with dedicated groups, such as Down Home NC and the Health Advocacy Project, in pushing for Medicaid expansion.
One objection to Medicaid expansion from state legislators is that we don’t have enough health care staff to care for more insured citizens. Recently, a Republican senator we visited questioned, “What will we do when we have more insured patients since emergency rooms are full already?”
This is shortsighted and unfounded. We are already treating uninsured North Carolinians regularly in emergency rooms (ERs) since ERs cannot turn patients away. Emergent medical issues are often chronic conditions that could be managed effectively if treated earlier. This would save money by keeping people out of the ER, which is the most expensive form of health care. We are already using health care dollars to care for uninsured patients and these funds just need efficient redistribution to manage newly insured patients.
As a physician, I know that health care is slow to change. However, the pandemic showed that the system is capable of change in a timely fashion with enough pressure. It seems as if virtual visits were suddenly available at every medical office! We can change delivery models to manage patients under Medicaid expansion.
Joel Gallagher
Greensboro
Dog whistle
Anne Harden Tindall (column, “NC Supreme Court needs to walk back from the ledge and uphold Harper v. Hall,” column,” March 16) , or anyone else who professes to want voter, and election integrity, should be all in for strict voter ID. But they aren’t.
Complaining how districts are drawn is just a dog whistle and smokescreen. Making sure people are qualified to vote is not in the left’s interest. They just want favorable numbers, qualified or not.
That’s just hypocritical, and hypocrisy ain’t pretty.
Tom Ozment
Jamestown
Greensboro’s Safest
We as Americans have become more dutiful in recognizing valuable services provided by public servants. Along with America’s Bravest and America’s Finest, we have the privilege March 18 to acknowledge the service of “America’s Safest.”
National Transit Driver Appreciation Day, or TDAD, was first established in Paris in 1662. The title “driver” has evolved to “operator,” reflecting the responsibilities far exceeding keeping a vehicle between the lines.
The modern bus operator assumes full responsibility for a 35-ton vehicle and the lives on board. Pre-trip inspections and ongoing awareness of his or her surroundings enhance the safety of all inside and outside of the vehicle … all while directing passengers to their destinations. There is physical support as well for persons with disabilities who need assistance with boarding, wheelchair securement and even escorts to their door.
Recently, TDAD recognition has been shared with another unsung group: transit maintenance and service workers. While operators are the daily faces of the transit system, their service would not exist without the behind-the-scenes workers conducting maintenance, damage repair, cleaning and more. Hand in hand, our maintenance and operators offer the best to our city.
GTA is recognizing our transit “superheroes” on Friday, March 17, with food, gifts and more. You can participate by submitting a message of gratitude at ridegta.com, where it will be shared with them and on our Youtube site @gtaheat. In short, it’s a wheely good time to recognize Greensboro’s Safest.
Happy #TDAD!
Lisa McMillan
Greensboro
The writer is chair of the Greensboro Transportation Advisory Commission.
Abortion is health care
As the North Carolina legislature begins its session, instead of increasing abortion restrictions it should be focused on making abortion more accessible in this state.
Abortion has been widely studied and shown to be eminently safe. But adding an arbitrary ban after a certain gestational age, as well as putting impediments in the path to obtaining a procedure, not only is economically harmful to women but also increases the risks of problems. The mandatory 72-hour waiting period in North Carolina presumes that, with the “correct” information, a woman will change her mind and choose to continue the pregnancy. Sixty percent of women seeking an abortion are already mothers, so they well know their options — and only they know their life circumstances.
As a former abortion and family planning provider, I can attest to the fact that most women know right away what they want to do. Sometimes these decisions are easy; sometimes they are more difficult — but, bottom line, they should be made solely by the woman and her health care provider, not politicians.
Abortion is health care; bans and restrictions are unwarranted, unjust and downright harmful.
Debra Teplin
Durham
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