… The price of new jobs

In reality, businesses look at everything. Executives don’t want to pay high taxes. Who does? But neither do they want to live and work in a state that can’t afford to maintain good schools and roads. Then back the schools. You have an education lottery that you rob every time you can’t balance the budget. Stop it. Safeguard it and make our schools the best in the nation. Businesses don’t like excessive regulations but recognize that poor air and water quality isn’t healthy for their families and employees.

Then make Duke and other polluters pay for their mistakes without raising their prices. And many do demand incentives from state and local governments when choosing among possible locations.

If you have great public education, infrastructure that is constantly being improved, quality of life as in clean water and air, then incentives become secondary and are not as important and companies will locate here

— Mark Lyerly

… Should bin Laden’s killer have stayed quiet?

Nobody knows how this Seal felt about his part in the killing of Bin Laden.

I agree that it should have been handled differently to avoid such notoriety, but sometimes what is inside the mind of a former Seal or any branch of the military is not easy to see. The killing of a human being is never easy to live with, whether in war or self defense. To keep this information inside for ever is a sure boost to PTSD. Many Vietnam Vets, and now the newest group of young men and women are dealing with a very real, and costly disability. Some families have split up, and many relationships never really had a chance because of the things bottled up.

— Ken Beck

This is so true, as we have a grandson who trained daily for over a year to join the Navy and be a Seal. He was told to not use his real name on social media or his family names and that is for his protection and his families protection. There are some things you just don’t talk or boast about as the security of our nation is also at risk. Bless them all as the training they go thru is hell to plus enemy warfare to keep us free to enjoy our lives here in the USA!

— Margaret Brown

… Commission approves pay increases for sheriff, board of education

Interesting. The commissioners have approved a raise for the school board based on a request made by an outgoing board in 2012 that was withdrawn by the current board when they took over. They didn’t think it was right to accept a raise when teacher/ staff pay needs could not be met. I wonder if the new school board will agree.

— Daryl Cox

How far do you really think $10,000. will go in teacher pay considering the number of teachers in Rowan/Salisbury Schools? There are 3,000 staff members. That’s about $3.33 ea. That won’t even buy lunch for one day.

— James Lambert

Nobody’s exactly getting rich here!

— Karen Puckett

… Kathleen Reeder: From chef to ‘The Bead Lady’

Kathleen is such a wonderful and creative person. I have been buying jewelry and beads from her for years

— Lisa Metcalf

Great article! We actually took the cut arrangements from Mom’s funeral to “The Bead Lady” and we all got various pieces (necklaces, bracelets & book marks) to keep as a remembrance – where the arrangements would have been long gone. We had rushed in right at closing time but she was still attentive & treated us with such kindness – not hurry up, it’s time for me to go home.

— Angela Lippard

… Leonard Pitts: Waiting to see whether Ferguson burns

Thank you Mr. Pitts for your article. I would like to say in addition that we should end the war on drugs so that men and women of color can raise children. The 30 to 40 year war on drugs and poverty has destroyed the black family. We must begin by rebuilding our families.This will be the strongest form of pretest.

— Reginald Brown

…Driver’s ed hits a curve

Maybe it’s time the schools got out of the business of teaching kids how to drive. I’ll bet you the instructional time a school would gain by eliminating what’s used for Drivers Ed would lead to a better education in what matters a whole lot more than learning how to drive.

So what if the kids find themselves without a driver’s license till a little later in life. Their world will not cease to exist irregardless of what they may think. The schools have busses, they can ride them to school.

Parents can get back in the business of being parents and take their kids where they “need” to be as opposed to turning them loose to go wherever their hearts desire. Hey! Maybe they will start knowing what their kids are up to a little better.

— Barney Barnhardt

You do realize that the instructional time is after hours and during the summer right? While you’re right they do have buses, many students choose not to ride a bus for over an hour twice a day.

Many students, like myself, were given the chance at taking college classes at Rowan Cabarrus In place of a class at their highschool. Guess what it required? Yep, driving.

I feel sure a lot of parents would love to be able to take their children to and from school, but they would also like to have jobs to pay bills and keep food on the table. The whole gist of your comment shows how far out touch with reality you are.

— Clay Boger

I think it’s a good idea that schools include driver’s education programs. However, a better solution, I think, than demanding a return of extra funding, would be to extend the school year a week or two and incorporating driver’s ed into the regular curriculum.

— Steve Pender

If parents can’t afford $300 drivers ed, how are they providing car insurance for these poor teens.

— Trisha File DeFeo

It has been my experience that most of the kids on free and reduced lunch had cellphones. I believe they will come up with the money for driver’s ed, also.

Al Bendig

Why does it cost so much per student? My drivers ed class of about 60 gave no signs of such a cost. Even the practice test had to be copied by hand into a notebook and returned at the conclusion of the program. A few outdated videos on VHS were shown. Aside from paying the P.E. teacher a supplement for instructing and maintenance costs on the vehicles, I can’t imagine where an annual cost of over $100,000 (several classes were offered in both spring and fall) is accrued.

— Nathan Compton

The training I received in driver’s ed back in high-school has saved my life at least once. Having the vast majority of motorists in the state trained to identical standards is a wise and sane way to promote all of our safety on the roadways. The legislature should stop pushing tax burdens downstream to counties and municipalities and take responsibility for necessary things. Irresponsible.

— Todd Paris

… Poverty level drops in city, county

Very encouraging news.

— Jeff Morris

Jeff, I believe you will find much of this is because people are leaving the county in search for work.

— Jim Archer