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In response to “Key to boosting CMS spirit: Double teacher salaries” (Sept. 12 Forum):
Chicago teachers show higher salaries not the answer
Look at Chicago Schools to see if higher salaries are the answer. Their lower-level teacher salaries are in the low $70s, among the highest if not the highest of big-city school systems. They have been offered a 16 percent raise over the next four years with most of their pensions being paid for. How effective have they been? They have around 60 percent of high school students graduating and a high percent of students reading far below grade levels.
This is only a continuation of the changes coming to bloated unionized public service employee costs. The party is over; cities and states can’t afford to keep raising salaries and benefits.
Ed Garland
Charlotte
In response to “The Irish are coming” and other articles (Sept. 13):
Notre Dame to ACC? Another example of greed, arrogance
Is the ACC ever going to stop soliciting and accepting other colleges and universities to join the conference? When is enough, enough? The fighting Irish are the 15th school to join the ACC. Remember when we had only eight schools? Greed and arrogance is what it’s all about, it seems.
The egotistical Irish will also be independent of the ACC in football and have the ability to schedule themselves nationally to greatly increase their postseason bowl game options. But wait a minute, they will also have access to the ACC’s non-BCS bowl tie-ins as well. Heck, let’s go after Nebraska next. How about a 24-team conference?
Richard Robertson
Charlotte
In response to “Libyan assault raises security concerns” and other articles (Sept. 13):
President’s negligence led to deaths in embassy attack
President Obama either skipped the intelligence briefing on the planned Islam attacks on 9/11 or decided not to reinforce the American embassies. In either case the deaths of the four Americans are directly due to negligence of President Obama.
The Muslim Brotherhood has announced additional demonstrations in Egypt. President Obama should not allow demonstrators to step foot on U.S. embassy grounds.
Bruce Moline
Charlotte
Romney showed lack of grace in statement after violence
Mitt Romney criticized President Obama for sympathizing with the Libyans who killed our ambassador.
Here’s what President Obama actually said: “Since our founding, the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths. We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. But there is absolutely no justification for this type of senseless violence. None. The world must stand together to unequivocally reject these brutal acts.”
The disgrace in fact and values resides with Romney’s statement, not with the president’s words of grace.
John H. Clark
Charlotte
In response to “Voters need to see past Clinton to Obama’s extremism” (Sept. 12 Forum):
Extreme? Accomplishments look pretty good to me
President Obama passed health care reform and financial/banking regulations, cut taxes, ended the Iraq war, brought bin Laden to justice and slowly pulled us out of the mess the last administration left us in.
The GOP’s only hope is to make him appear extreme. More extreme than the president who started the whole Iraq/Guantanamo/torture mess, returned to deficit spending, illegally wiretapped our phones, and allowed bin Laden to attack.
A Republican could win all day long with that.
Tony Hinson
Concord
Unions a necessary partner in reaching American dream
Not only should unions exist but they are a necessity; just go see the Broadway musical “Newsies.” The story is loosely based on the turn of the century newspaper editor Joseph Pulitzer’s battle with his newspaper delivery boys, forcing the delivery boys to unionize.
Pulitzer, now best known for “The Pulitzer Prize,” tries to exploit his delivery boys and forces them to unionize and eventually force the editor to capitulate.
In our capitalist system both corporations and unions must co-exist without one destroying the other.
This symbiotic relationship is our path to the American dream.
Barry Marshall
Charlotte
In response to “Groundbreaking set for Knights stadium” (Sept. 12):
A plea to the Knights: Keep prices manageable for us
I remember when the Charlotte Knights played in Crockett Park, the old but wonderful wooden stadium on South Boulevard.
As a single parent on a very limited income, I would take my two young sons to a game every now and then.
Sure it was a splurge, but it was an affordable one, and the smiles on my sons’ faces were priceless.
So, my plea to the authorities involved with the future baseball stadium in uptown Charlotte is to please, please, keep the admission, parking and concessions affordable to all.
Kris Solow
Charlotte
