1/27 Letters: People serving in military should be paid during government shutdowns

“US government shuts down as partisan blame game heats up” (Jan. 20): I am disgusted by the government shutdown. Active duty service men and women deserved to be paid during the shutdown. I can’t understand why congressmen get paid during shutdowns but not our servicemen.

Do the congressmen understand that when there is a shutdown there is no daycare on the base? No health care on the base? My son-in-law is active duty. He deserved to be paid, not be told to wait. Congress needs to think long and hard about the lives of our servicemen when they can’t figure out how to compromise. Government shutdown is bad. Our servicemen suffer. The families of our servicemen suffer. Is this fair? Our congress needs to go visit and see how this shutdown is unfair to our military families.

Don’t extend 540

Regarding “NCDOT accused of misleading public about $2.2B highway project” (Jan. 25): NCDOT’s Complete 540 plan extends the outer loop highway around the south side of Raleigh. Why strangle Raleigh with more big highway loops? Why cut off existing wildlife corridors running through Southeastern Wake County? Why damage precious water quality and important aquatic life in the process? Why spend $2.2 billion to build a road that will encourage more urban sprawl, commuter car use, and increase air pollution in our area?

NCDOT’s own studies showed that this $2.2 billion road will save commuters only 10 minutes in travel time. We need to take a fresh look at our present and future transportation needs here in Wake County and devise a much better plan. Consider the new plan being proposed by the Southern Environmental Law Center called Access 2040. As I understand it, this plan will upgrade key roads in Southeastern Wake County, widening portions, and installing creative intersection upgrades.

Upgrading our existing road network will be cheaper and less environmentally damaging than a new six-lane toll highway. We can work out better public transportation (bus and rail) for our region, and that can part of the bigger plan. NCDOT is accepting public comments until February first.

Budget delay

Regarding “US government shuts down as partisan blame game heats up” (Jan. 20): Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should be proud that the new policy he established by not allowing a vote on a president’s supreme court appointee is now being applied to the budget.

This budget is too important to be approved by the current Senate: Let the next Senate decide on the budget.

This story was originally published January 26, 2018 at 6:00 PM with the headline "1/27 Letters: People serving in military should be paid during government shutdowns."