Leon Cooke: Early education key to decreasing poverty

Regarding the May 12 Point of View “Stop crime? Fight poverty first”: I found it most insightful and right on target. All records show that poverty has been increasing over the past 30-odd years despite well-intended programs to reduce it.

Early education is the key to help reduce crime and poverty. However, our “all-knowing” General Assembly is proposing to reduce funding for education in its budget.

Instead of working on solutions for job creation – note as but one example the recent loss of Volvo to enlightened South Carolina – the General Assembly chooses to concentrate on social issues such as limiting women’s access to legal abortions at the same time adversely impacting our wonderful medical community, limiting access to the voting booth, reorganizing districts in specific counties and permitting guns in bars and schools.

Those assembly members who ran on reducing state government propose yet another nonproductive agency instead of spending money on education from early childhood through college.

Where are the bills to prepare North Carolinians for those jobs they claim they produce? Food for thought in the next election cycle.

This story was originally published May 19, 2015 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Leon Cooke: Early education key to decreasing poverty."