Fruitless fix

The Nov. 29 editorial about state plans to keep N.C. 12 on Hatteras Island open was right on the mark. The island is not suited for permanent roads and has become a huge drain on the public treasury. Currently planned projects total almost $500 million, which amounts to over $100,000 for each of the island’s 4,500 permanent residents. That seems like a whole lot of money to benefit relatively few people, particularly when you realize that these “fixes” are likely to be just as temporary as the last ones.

Ocracoke does just fine with ferries; why not Hatteras?

The search for a permanent solution on a temporary island is bound to be fruitless in the long run.

Peter Aitken

Chapel Hill