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In response to “Obama sounds alarm on cuts” (Feb. 27) and related articles:
Brinksmanship must end if you want folks to open their wallets
It’s beyond time for both parties to negotiate in good faith so the major issues facing our economy can be addressed.
Only then can more consumers comfortably open their wallets. Only then can small businesses make long-term investments.
The election is over and our elected officials are so completely focused on clinging to power that they’ve stopped caring about small businesses and working-class American voters.
It’s time for politicians to stop pointing fingers – and for all of us to demand action.
Jay Ahuja
Charlotte
Government must be honest; don’t exaggerate impact of cuts
My concern is the federal government will purposely allow the sequestration to occur and will purposely allow its impact to be greater than it ought to be, all in an effort to frighten and intimidate the public.
Sequestration is to take place over an extended period of time, not overnight. Our government has the duty to implement it in such a way as to cause as little impact as possible, not the other way around. We are about to see how honest our government is.
Bob Burroughs
Charlotte
Back revised Simpson-Bowles plan, it’s the only solution
President Obama should sit down with Joe Biden, Mitch McConnell, Harry Reid, John Boehner, Eric Cantor and Nancy Pelosi in a closed-door meeting and not come out until they all agree to support the revised Simpson-Bowles proposal.
Then, if they can’t get the votes to adopt it, they should all board Air Force One with the president and go to the people! I’m convinced the people, left, right and independent, would support them.
This would force Congress to vote for Simpson-Bowles’ balanced approach. More importantly, it would finally get them to start working together – not for Team Democrat or Team Republican, but for Team USA.
Dan F. Faris
Charlotte
In response to “Not everyone would feel the sting of budget cuts” (Feb. 24):
Don’t close airport towers, plenty of savings elsewhere
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood would close 100 air-traffic control towers if sequestration happens? Hey, Ray, why not shut down unprofitable AMTRAK routes, freeze staff travel and stop searching Grandmas and kids instead? A leader who cannot set priorities has no business leading anything, and that goes for Obama as well.
Ray Bettge
Charlotte
Newton’s push for fracking in N.C. disappoints this GOP voter
N.C. Sen. E.S. “Buck” Newton has lost this Republican’s support with his committee’s recent approval of the fracking bill.
When will our politicians stop kowtowing to special interests?
Are a few thousand jobs worth killing our land and poisoning residents and livestock as studies have shown the wastewater to do? Maybe when Newton is able to light his tap water on fire he’ll think twice.
When this death bill hits the floor for a final vote, I hope there are some politicians who have the people’s interest in mind, not just their own pockets.
Rick Ritter
Charlotte
In response to “Economics 101: Higher minimum wage hurts labor,” (Feb. 26 Viewpoint):
Williams’ thinking on wages reminds me of bygone days
Professor Walter Williams appears to be reliving another era when he speaks of human labor as comparable – and therefore to be treated the same – as the purchase of a product.
This brings to mind the discredited “iron law of wages” that dominated the pre-Depression era pay for workers: i.e. Pay a minimum wage according to market supply and demand, not an amount that meets basic survival needs for the workers or a wage representing the real market value of the worker to the employer.
Bernard J. Offerman
Charlotte
In response to “The cursive requirement” (Feb. 26 Opinion):
I’m glad someone in our state is standing up for cursive
Yes, I too had to learn the “humanity” of cursive in grammar school some 40 years ago. Thank you, Mrs. Farwell!
How could I have signed my U.S. passport to travel to foreign countries that, oh yes, speak Spanish, French, German and Mandarin or Cantonese?
Imagine me asking Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer on my flight to Tokyo in 1985 to please “block print” their names on my golf hat because it is just a complementary requirement to write in cursive in the USA.
Thank you N.C. Rep. Chris Malone for standing up for the humanity of cursive. Can the next bill be mandatory recess?
Michael A. Petruski
Charlotte
In response to “Group denies sending memo” (Feb. 23):
If Blueprint acted as accused, they’re hurting our state
It is sickening to realize we may have a political group in our state like Blueprint North Carolina which may have nothing more to do with their time than disgrace a governor who barely took office and disrupt our duly-elected state government.
I just cannot imagine who would want to bring a business to this state with this group and its political terrorists.
Santo J. Petruso
Pineville
