Why is NC encouraging well-off families to leave public schools? | Opinion

School vouchers

Strong public schools have been a proud tradition in our state. Incentivizing a privileged few to abandon our public schools with vouchers is an objectionable use of taxpayer dollars for supporters of public schools.

The universal vouchers promoted by GOP legislators will undermine our public education system. Under their plan, the state will divert huge amounts of taxpayer money to private schools. It makes no sense. Why would we use taxpayer dollars to pay families of well-off students to leave the public schools?

The money allocated for vouchers is money the public school system badly needs. North Carolina should be investing voucher money into building strong public schools that benefit all students instead of subsidizing private schools for a few.

Kenneth Raynor, Charlotte

Level the field

The writer is a N.C. public school teacher.

I need someone to explain to me how the new voucher program will be fair to public schools? School systems get public money and therefore are required to meet state standards and laws about public education. Charter schools benefit from a system like vouchers, but they are beholden to the same standards and regulations (for the most part). How would it be fair to give public money to private schools and not require them to meet the same standards and requirements?

Either public schools should be released from all those laws and regulations and make it a truly fair marketplace, or private schools that accept public funds should have to follow the same state requirements and standards as public schools.

Anthony Yodice, Charlotte

Johnston YMCA

The YMCA’s decision to close the Johnston branch in NoDa begs the question, are they really a nonprofit focused on serving the community, or just another gym? They pour endless amounts of money into their Dowd branch on Morehead Street citing high usership at that location, but that branch and their other uptown branches do not serve the community in the way the smaller branches do. I kept my YMCA membership going throughout the entire pandemic because I believed in and wanted to support their mission, but now I feel betrayed.

Heather Ferguson, Charlotte

Medical ethics

The Medical Ethics Defense Act (HB 819) before the N.C. House would allow healthcare providers to refuse to give any treatment they deem contrary to their moral/ethical conscience. As this is a thinly veiled limitation of transgender citizens’ right to care, what possible “defense” is there for something that is neither “medical“ nor “ethical,“ but instead condoned workplace prejudice and political grandstanding? Suppose I turned away a legislator as a patient because they opposed gun control?

There is no valid reason for our government to insert itself here, or to give cover to providers to be unfaithful to their Hippocratic oath and to practice medicine unjustly. We are called to treat all, and not to judge any.

Dr. Christopher Lakin, Charlotte

Eastland plan

Regarding “Charlotte cuts Target, pool complex from Eastland options,” (May 3):

It seems to me the last thing residents of the Eastland area need are more ball fields and sports courts. How about businesses that employ people and contribute to the tax base instead?

Tom Cochran, Charlotte

A world on fire

While the war rages in Ukraine with Russia, China is building up its military capabilities to take over Taiwan, North Korea is testing missiles, Iran is building nuclear capacity, while here in the U.S. politicians are still arguing over who won the 2020 election, transgender rights, repealing abortion rights (which was settled 50 years ago), restricting voting rights, banning books, critical race theory and sex education. The world is on fire and our political representatives cannot come to any bipartisan agreements. Our leaders need to wake up. If that means being “woke,” then so be it.

David Morris, Davidson

Childcare access

Republican N.C. Sen. Michael Lee said it’s the government’s role to help all children. I agree 100%, therefore I suggest that better help for all children, parents and the state would be an Opportunity Scholarship grant fund for all children to have funded access to accredited child care and preschool. What a life-changer this could be!

Debby Barden, Troy

Rigging the game

Why limit gerrymandering to politics? To improve their record, the Carolina Panthers should take a page from the Republican playbook. For all home games, the team should restrict the opposition to a strictly-defined area of the field on which they can play, thereby greatly improving the chances of a Panthers victory. The team could also shop around for referees who are more likely to rule in their favor should there be any dispute regarding adherence to the rules. Adopting this approach will practically guarantee home victories. Seems fair, right?

Robert Cloninger Jr., Gastonia