Does public back shortsighted cuts?
Republicans say voters elected them with a mandate to spend less.
Right now theyíre interpreting that mandate to mean the stateís education budget should be cut by $760 million in 2011-12, which follows cuts of more than a half billion over the past two years.
Would someone please conduct a solid public opinion poll to test that hypothesis?
I think N.C. voters are more willing to sacrifice for public education than the politicians give them credit for.
I think most of us realize that whatís being considered in Raleigh is short-sighted and will cost us dearly down the road in terms of a generation less well equipped to contribute to society.
If the Republican want to stay in charge, I think they need to be smarter about interpreting their mandate.
ó Doug Swaim
Charlotte
Ugly power grab in Wisconsin
The trampling Wednesday of the democratic process in Wisconsin shows that Gov. Scott Walker and the Republicans have been lying throughout this entire process and that the opposition has been telling the truth.
None of the provisions that attacked workersí rights had anything to do with the budget. Indeed, in order to move their agenda in the face of a united opposition, Wisconsin Republicans took out everything in the bill that had anything to do with the budget. All that was left to vote on was stripping public workers of their right to collective bargaining and authorizing the governor to fire any public employee who resists.
The agenda to roll back workersí rights being advanced by right-wing ideologues who control state legislatures in Wisconsin, Ohio, and even right here in North Carolina is exposed for what it truly is ó an ugly, naked power grab designed to kneecap their political opposition and reward their wealthy corporate benefactors.
For shame!
ó Russell Bennett
Salisbury