Representative Pittenger defies logic to defend Trump

Pittenger trying too hard for Trump

Rep. Robert Pittenger strains mightily to defend the indefensible. This president is a diamond? And strives to make up for the elite’s failing diplomacy? Hardly. His loathsome words about Africa were aimed directly at the gene pool of a continent he abhors. At last, sir, have you no sense of reality? (You thought I’d say “decency,” but no one expects that anymore.)

Did anyone actually win the shutdown?

Who got the most from ending the government shutdown? The Republicans say they did because they got the Democrats to blink on their demands. The Democrats say they did because they got the Republicans to cave in on getting the promise of a floor vote on DACA.

Wait a minute! What about the American people, what did we get out of it? Our benefit was not to either blink or cave, but to restore some semblance of a functioning government. In just three weeks we’ll be right back where we started with the threat of another government shutdown.

Who will the winners be then? Maybe that won’t be decided until November.

N.C. schools need priority adjustment

How can North Carolina’s education ranking go down, when we spend so much time on gender identity and diversity? Maybe we should be spending that time on reading, writing and arithmetic.

Funds needed for N.C. schools

Thank you Kay McSpadden for raising the issue of the need for additional funding for schools in high poverty areas. I believe that we should treat low achievement in these schools as a crisis, as well as the high poverty itself.

The rising stock market and better economy in general have allowed substantial increases in wealth for many N.C. citizens. Why can’t we reinstate the 2 percent surtax on wealthier taxpayers that was eliminated years ago? I am in favor of using increased taxes to help alleviate poverty and improve the educational opportunities for all students, especially for those living in poverty.

Throwing money at a problem does not guarantee success, but doing nothing ensures failure.

Our nation may be too accommodating

There is a major grocery chain in Charlotte that provides special parking for handicapped, veterans and mothers with children. The “mothers with children” spots are always closer to the store than the veterans parking. I would suggest that “mothers with children” spots should be eliminated and elderly parking added. Not all elderly are handicapped, so they do not use the handicapped spots.

Let the young mothers find a spot to park just as our parents did, and we did with our children. The nation has become too soft. By allowing mothers to have choice parking over veterans and to allow “comfort animals” into stores and restaurants illustrates just how far we as a nation have digressed.

What I expect from a U.S. president

Tom Rafferty is right to propose a 28th amendment and I would wholeheartedly support it, but I think there is a critical third element that should be included.

There should be a requirement that any candidate running for President or Vice President must take and pass a rigorous test of their knowledge of the Constitution of the United States and all amendments, the structure, responsibilities and interactions of the three branches of our government, and the evolution of national and international policies as a minimum.

Can liberals ever be satisfied?

Is there anything President Trump could have done on Martin Luther King Jr. Day that would have been acceptable to liberals?

This story was originally published January 23, 2018 at 5:15 PM with the headline "Representative Pittenger defies logic to defend Trump."