Hey NC GOP leaders, stop stockpiling revenue and start spending it [Letters]

NC revenues

We recently learned about another huge pot of money that Republican legislators are hoarding, money intended to help struggling North Carolinians.

Ned Barnett’s Feb. 7 Opinion column said more than $3.1 billion is in the unemployment insurance program trust fund, $2 billion more than most states have in theirs. Yet the GOP-controlled legislature refuses to provide the unemployed with barely sustenance levels of support.

This reserve, combined with the more than $6 billion in excess tax revenues the state has accumulated, is an unconscionable stockpile of money that could be used to improve public schools, assist folks who lost jobs through no fault of their own, and improve the court system — all without raising taxes.

It’s time for voters to ask their representatives why they think it’s a good idea to hoard funds collected for the purpose of providing effective, efficient government services.

Lucille Howard, Charlotte

UNC enmity

Regarding “A right turn at UNC,” (Feb. 6):

The analysis regarding the relationship between Republican legislative leaders and the UNC System was well done, albeit biased in its suggestion that all of this is new. In fact, conservative legislators of both parties have long chafed at the “liberal bent” of Chapel Hill and other institutions of our university system — on whose faculties very few conservatives serve and on whose campuses conservative speakers are rarely tolerated.

I’m old enough to remember the “speaker ban” law imposed on UNC-CH by a Democrat-dominated legislature in the early 1960s. I also remember my late friend Bill Friday’s frequent complaints about perceived interference in university affairs by conservative Democrat legislators during his tenure as president.

The only difference now is that since 2010 Republicans have been in control, and for all the Democrats and liberals in Chapel Hill, and on other UNC campuses, that is particularly objectionable.

Richard Vinroot, Charlotte

NC Supreme Court

It’s interesting that the basis for lawsuits against the N.C. redistricting maps is that they’re politically motivated so Republicans could gain more seats. The N.C. Supreme Court opinion with four Democrats for and three Republicans against could not be more political. It would be nice if the justices looked to see if the state Constitution was being followed with the maps, not whether or not they liked the outcomes. I must be naïve thinking that the judges’ job is to rule on something like this as it adheres to our Constitution, not on how they’d like the law to be.

Bill Wallace, Charlotte

Equity director

Regarding “CEO defends hiring equity director linked to fraud probe,” (Feb. 9):

Charlotte Regional Business Alliance CEO Janet LaBar says it was her decision to hire Kimberly Henderson, who is tainted by the massive unemployment fraud case in Ohio. Guilty or not, Henderson brings to Charlotte a questionable background. As for LaBar, her lax vetting and poor judgment in this makes one question her leadership of the CRBA.

Ed Carlson, Charlotte

Learning history

We do not educate our children about the racial history of our country to shame the descendants of the perpetrators or foment hatred among the descendants of the victims. We do it to empower the children, because we love them.

We do it so they will not make the same mistakes our ancestors made. We do it so they will not be duped by demagogues into believing that simply because of some common trait certain people must be feared and derided or are undeserving of respect, trust and empathy.

We do it so our children have a chance to create a society based on trust and mutual respect — free from the murderous grip of racial hatred.

Alexander Levy, Charlotte

Trump enablers

There are Trump enablers in the GOP, including Rep. Jim Jordan and Senators Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham, whose hateful postings are doing great harm to our nation.

They are blocking Biden’s agenda to build back America after four years of lies and misinformation, no matter the consequences. I suggest the GOP lose its hateful agenda, dump Trump and his enablers, and work with the Democrats while they’re in power to get this great nation back on track.

Herbert W. Stark, Mooresville

More babies?

I nearly fell out of my chair reading the Washington Post editorial “US needs more immigrants and more babies,” (Feb. 9 Opinion).

World population is far and away the biggest climate change problem we face. Promoting babies in the U.S. reflects an arrogant attitude that we need American babies, but the rest of the world should stop having them. There is nothing wrong in this world that would not be made better with half as many people.

The editorial says “National policy should promote vigorous population expansion.” The author obviously never navigated I-77 or I-485 in rush hour. Infrastructure is crumbling, and somehow more people will help the problem? Our national debt will never be repaid, but somehow providing more services to immigrants will help solve that problem.

Hatcher Kincheloe, Charlotte