Duke Energy’s idea of utility reform is not what NC needs

Duke Energy bill will impact NC wallets

North Carolina needs utility reform, but the bill Duke Energy is pushing at the legislature, taking more control with less oversight, is a step in the wrong direction.

Duke operates as a monopoly, meanwhile recent polls show that customers are interested in a competitive energy marketplace that gives companies an incentive to operate cost-efficiently, driving down rates.

If Duke thinks customers will welcome the “predictability” in having bill increases locked in for five years at a time, they are woefully out of touch.

Mistrust of police is not unfounded

Regarding the letter from Forum writer Hughie Sexton (“The police did their job well” April 24):

The fears of African-Americans and the stigma Sexton refers to are well-founded. And, the mistrust still runs rampant today because of racist bigots in our society.

Defend the country or be impeached

The president’s job is to defend our country from enemies foreign and domestic.

However, our president ignores or denies that Russia attacked us during the 2016 election.

The redacted Mueller report offers details and reinforces the previous intelligence experts’ conclusions about the Russian attacks, and all the experts agree Russia has no intention of stopping.

Yet, this president is doing nothing.

Regardless of whether he or his campaign actively colluded with Russia in 2016, the president’s refusal today to acknowledge and defend our country from future election attack from Russia or any other foreign power is a failure to defend the sovereignty of the United States and grounds for impeachment.

Sen. Burr’s actions were warranted

When I and others voted for Trump, we were voting for him to be the “chief magistrate.”.

As the chief law enforcement officer of the land Trump is due all “sensitive” law enforcement information. That’s what we voted for in 2016. A deal is a deal.

No one voted James Comey, et al, into any position of authority in 2016.

Trump is the overall executive authority by virtue of a free and fair election. And that’s by what you call democracy.

Congress can do 2 things at once

On the contrary, it exposed the president of the United States of committing possible obstruction of justice, something that is against the law.

Marshall Park is our town square. Keep it.

The April 23 photo of another citizens’ protest in Marshall Park, reminds us again that this little center-city park is the town square for the “City of Trees.”

It’s the park we’ve already paid for. It’s the place we show the world when we want to put our best urban image forward.

Are these reasons for local government to destroy or save this park?

Facebook takes censure a bit too far

A good friend got put into “Facebook jail” the other day. Was his crime dissemination of a violent video? No. Racism? No. A hate crime? No.

My friend’s father was a B-24 bomber pilot with the 380th Bomb Group, a highly decorated and essential part of our WWII campaign.

His crime apparently was putting together all of the airplane nose art and posting it on Facebook.

Sure, there were a number of risque paintings in the group, but what would you expect from a group of 18 to 22 year olds putting their lives on the line to protect the USA?

What have we become?