Dedication to education?

Remember the debate about why we needed to build a Central Office Building on Main Street? “When people see this beautiful building,” many said, “they will know just how dedicated Rowan County is to education.”

That building on Main cost about $7 million, and yes, I understand that the pot from which the board is dipping into for the $14 million Apple contract cannot be used for capital expenditures, but just think if it could. With two more such monuments, Rowan County’s dedication to education would be envied worldwide.

Despite the handicap of having no competitive bids, I have no doubt our school board made the best deal they could with Apple. So, let’s wait and see what the 2016-2017 school grades reveal. If there is significant improvement, $14 million in new iPads might well trump two more Administrative Buildings.

— Chuck Hughes

Salisbury

We will worry

In response to “Rep. Hudson: GOP bill represents good, conservative health care reform” (March 15): Congressman Hudson needs to wake up from his dream and face the cold nightmare of the millions of Americans he wants to push off Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Hudson and his Republican colleagues are getting ready to gut federal subsidies for those living barely above, at, and below the poverty line.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s analysis, North Carolina ACA enrollees will see an average premium increase of $5,360. The new American Health Care Act bill eliminates Medicaid expansion effective Dec.31, 2018. It defunds Planned Parenthood. It raises insurance costs based on your age. To that Congressman Hudson says, “Don’t worry, we’ll come back and fix it later.” Just like Republicans spent the last seven years trying to fix the ACA for their constituents.

Congressman Hudson, when are you going to come home and explain to your constituents, in person, how this is the bill of your dreams?

— Doshia James

Concord