Modified Sat, Jan 30, 2010 05:27 AM
Where children stand
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close xYour Jan. 27 article on Joshua Stewart, a 13-year-old boy with autism who had been camped out for eight days, waiting for a much-needed bed in a mental health hospital, highlighted the effects of the devastating budget cuts our beleaguered mental health system has undergone.
It also demonstrated that children are declining as a priority for our state. Over the past eight years, outside of Medicaid and public education, the state funding dedicated to children's services and programs in North Carolina has declined by nearly 20 percent. If a budget is really a statement of a society's priorities, then we're announcing loud and clear that our children are not a top priority.
We can't just sit back and blame our state legislators for the budget cuts they make. This budget is ours, too. It's our responsibility to tell our legislators that we expect them to make all of North Carolina's children as high a priority as they make their own.
Mandy Ableidinger
Action for Children N.C.
Raleigh
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Letters Top Stories
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Aiming too low
The N&O recently reported that U.S. Rep. Pat McHenry of North Carolina wants to replace Ulysses Grant on the $50 bill with Ronald Reagan. If that is a good idea, why relegate Reagan to $50? -
Academics only
Regarding the March 12 Point of View article "Tearing down policies that built Wake's schools": My experience of 40 years as a university professor, my birthplace Cuba of Armenian parents and my 15-year experience in México City as a professor in a graduate school gives me some insight on education, multicultural awareness, global economy and communication. -
In the schools: the diversity debate
A recent gathering of architects and planners listened as lecturers spoke of sustainable and resilient urban life. The professionals learned that walkable schools are one means of maintaining a healthy urban community. -
Not my spokesman
As a single mother and person of color, I am disgusted with the NAACP and the ignorance displayed during the meeting with the Board of Education. -
Friends the result
Instead of recognizing the cause of the frequent student reassignments - the high growth rate of Wake County - the new school board members insist on chasing a red herring. Diversity is not the problem. -
Starts at home
The next time you are in Raleigh (downtown, mall, park, bar, etc.), look around. Then look at yourself, then look around again. How many around you look like you? How many are different? How many of the different are together? Apart? -
Minority shortchanged
The current Wake County school controversy finds many fingers of blame pointed at the five conservative school board members. But, are they the root cause? -
Awaiting the fix
I sure hope our community leaders who dangle declining graduation rates and low test scores of the economically disadvantaged as justification for moving to neighborhood schools are truly concerned about the issue. -
Housing the answer
The solution to the current debate regarding Wake County schools is to have schools that are both economically diverse and neighborhood-based. To achieve this, we need diverse neighborhoods, not concentrations of wealth or poverty. -
Unimpressive scholars
From what I read on the scholars' presentations to the school board (news story, March 18), I was disappointed. They presented only findings based on information on the existing system, which has already been deemed flawed.
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