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In response to For the Record “Reforming teacher pay: Will North Carolina be left behind?” (Aug. 23 Opinion):
Teachers shouldn’t pay the price for poorly raised children
Suppose a teacher has, as I did, a class of underachievers, many of whom came in the first day saying “I ain’t got to do nothin.’ ”
We’re responsible for teaching. Are we also responsible for correcting that attitude? Or are the parents?
It’s a matter of values. If Johnny “ain’t gonna do nothin,’ ” are teachers to be judged for that?
Merit pay may work in some situations, but across the board it is a flawed concept.
Jack Heniford
York, S.C.
My plan for accountability in
city government spending
As a Charlotte taxpayer I’d like to see quarterly reports on how city government investments are doing. These reports could be posted on the city website.
Every time a project is approved that taxpayer dollars will help fund – think baseball stadium, arena, etc. – these reports should be generated until the project has paid for itself.
No project should be approved that does not have a stated return on investment that can be tracked. The people compiling the numbers should be held accountable for them.
Let’s call this a first step toward accountability!
J.C. Hoagland
Charlotte
Seems Democrats have a few problems with women too
I keep hearing about the Republicans’ so-called war on women – a war because people don’t think their taxes should be used to pay for someone’s abortion or birth control.
Why do we not hear about the Democrats’ view of women from a few well known Democratic men starting with the late Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton, John Edwards, Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer, to name a few?
Jeff Lominac
Conover
In response to Kevin Siers’ Aug. 22 political cartoon.
Kevin Siers, please spare
the tar and broad brush
The writer is a Republican at-large candidate for Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners.
Todd Akin embarrassed himself with his stunningly stupid comment about “legitimate” rape. His fellow Republicans, from Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus to Gov. Mitt Romney soundly condemned his words.
Yet cartoonist Kevin Siers is clearly unimpressed, continuing to tar Republicans in general as empty-headed and anti-woman due to the inane remarks of one divisive fool.
It’s 2012, and I say it’s past time to put away the tar and broad brush.
Wayne Powers
Charlotte
Come November, I won’t be fooled by Obama’s promises
President Obama promised us four years ago that he would reduce the deficit so his daughters and our children and grandchildren would not be saddled with paying back the national debt. He also promised jobs.
The national debt is much higher than it was when he took office, and there are still not enough jobs.
Now, Mr. Obama is making the same promises he made four years ago.
Fool us once, President Obama, shame on you! Fool us twice, shame on us!
Linda Clark
Charlotte
In response to “An unserious man and his con game” (Aug. 22 Viewpoint):
Krugman way off course with comments about Ryan, more
For Paul Krugman to label Paul Ryan not a serious man shows the hypocrisy that defines Krugman’s world.
Krugman is on record for advocating a much bigger stimulus, – similar to the one that did not work – building up our defenses to fight against a false alien invasion, and advocating that government spending should be 50 percent of GDP while revenues should be 48 percent. During Bill Clinton’s last year in office federal spending was 18 percent of GDP.
Krugman’s problem can be traced back to the biggest economic myth of all time – that is getting something for nothing.
The stimulus should be the death knell of Keynesian economics. Instead of more spending, let’s try more freedom.
Ben Fletcher
Charlotte
Hard for me to square Romney claim about creating jobs
Isn’t it sickening that Mitt Romney made millions putting people out of work, health care, pensions, etc.? After he has his millions tucked away safely in offshore bank accounts, now he’s running around the country telling us he wants to put people back to work.
Philip Short
Concord
In response to “Agencies scramble on homeless plan” (Aug. 14):
Scramble to house homeless could have been avoided
Is this something that was just overlooked until the last minute?
Many of the people who are homeless, including some families with little children and those living in the center city of Charlotte, are being displaced before and during the Democratic National Convention.
Many months and a lot of time and effort have gone into planning this DNC. The plea now has gone out asking churches and others to help provide for these unfortunate individuals starting Aug. 27 through Sept. 7.
One would think that the compassionate, caring Democrats would not let this happen to these individuals.
G.L. Shore
Charlotte
