6/16 letters: Restore environmental controls that were initiated under Obama

Take aggressive action on climate

At a recent gathering for my 94th birthday, I glanced at my 16-month old great-grandson and wondered what his world be when he was my age.

From my readings, he would face a very hot climate with frequent devastating storms, insufficient arable land to feed a huge overpopulation, polluted oceans and fresh water with no end in sight for relief.

Unless very aggressive actions are taken worldwide regarding climate control, this scenario is inevitable.

Let’s hope our next administration will at least restore the environmental controls initiated under President Obama and competent leaders will be named for the critical federal agencies.

From a concerned scientist.

Jack Lynn, Southern Pines

NC senators, push Trump on climate

It is apparent from what we read, see and hear that the ocean is loosing its marine biodiversity rapidly as climate change impact gets more acute, as evidenced in what I call the 9/11-like catastrophe with Hurricane Florence, pouring 82 trillion gallons of rain water into southeastern North Carolina.

The most prudent thing we citizens can do is write to our congressmen and our two senators, Thom Tillis and Richard Burr, and ask them to inform our current president, Donald Trump, who is in denial about climate change risks.

For the sake of future generations he should accept the conclusions of scientists on what is happening due to excessive emission of carbon dioxide. Our best bet is to change gear completely to renewable energy (solar and wind), coupled with a boost to nuclear power by 2040.

Robert Y. George, Wake Forest

UNCW, Oceanography Professor Emeritus

Coach K hasn’t convinced me

Coach Mike Krzyzewski says, of his grandson, just awarded a walk-on spot with his Duke basketball team, “He’s earned it.” (June 6)

This is the story the privileged like to tell themselves of the scarce, coveted opportunities granted to them.

Mitchell Moore, Durham

Dems refused to give Trump a win

The recent guest editorial from the LA Times regarding Dreamers was incredibly misleading.

I know that history seems to start two weeks ago for many folks, but back in 2017 the White House proposed a bill to make the Dreamers safe and fund a border wall. It died in the toxic environment of Congress.

Democrats refused to give Trump a policy win, so, tit for tat, Dreamers became a political casualty. The current bill passed in the House was nothing more than a political ploy in a run up to the 2020 election.

Even though the article was on an opinion page, the writer’s “outrage” should have included both parties.

Fenton McGonnell, Durham

Help NC hemp farmers succeed

I am proud that my state is a national leader in agriculture. Unfortunately, bad weather, tariffs, and the declining demand for tobacco have dealt numerous blows to farmers in recent years.

But thanks to our state’s Industrial Hemp Pilot Program, farmers, like myself, have restored hope for the future.

The North Carolina Farm Act of 2019 can build upon that hope, providing a permanent opportunity to our state’s farmers. A successful hemp crop can net a farmer $10,000 per acre, exponentially more than the $600-$800 from a comparable tobacco harvest.

This economic output will have ripple effects, as farmers will continue to invest in land and equipment, creating jobs and economic growth.

That’s why South Carolina and Virginia have passed bills designed to promote the industry.

The last thing legislators should be doing is placing burdensome restrictions, such as limiting the products hemp processing facilities can develop, on the industry.

I urge state lawmakers to use the Farm Act to empower farmers, help our rural communities, and return North Carolina to agricultural prominence.

Martin McLeod, Carthage CQ

Durham needs more police

What happened to the folks we voted in as our leaders in Durham?

How could our elected officials decide we do not need additional police officers in our rapidly growing city when our police chief requested them? Do they not know that their most important and critical job is to keep our fair city safe?

Please let’s make changes in the next election and vote for people who care about our safety and quality of life.

Durham needs informed and invested voters and leaders.

Joanne Liddle, Durham

Stop wasting taxpayer dollars

The recent article about the Raleigh City Council voting against spending $240,000 to upgrade certain fire and police department salaries was really an eye-opener. (June 10)

That’s a drop in the bucket of a more than $1 billion budget. Pay them, already!

It is wrong-headed and Machiavellian to continue to waste taxpayer dollars to fund studies to correct this egregious error.

Our current City Council continues to engage in foot-dragging and dancing around a genuine problem without dealing with it. Could that be because many of the good people earning these salaries cannot afford to live in Raleigh and cannot vote for the people who control their paychecks?

Nancy K. Jones, Raleigh

Wake tax hike hurts seniors

The decision by Wake County to raise property taxes by a whopping 10.1 percent will severely affect seniors on fixed incomes. (June 3)

Supporting public schools is vital; we must increase funding as the N.C. General Assembly tries to slowly eviscerate public education. But what is the county doing for longtime residents now retired with lower incomes?

Social Security increases are minimal and must be spread among countless other rising costs. Many of us who have lived in our homes for decades have seen greatly increased assessments as the city grew and prices skyrocketed, something I never expected upon moving into my modest home 25 years ago.

The fact that my house/land is more valuable now does me no good if I have nowhere to move upon selling. Have you seen housing prices in Raleigh?

All we want is to stay in our homes as long as we are physically able, but if assessments/taxes continue to rise, we are doomed.

Carolyn Guckert, Raleigh

This story was originally published June 16, 2019 at 12:00 AM with the headline "6/16 letters: Restore environmental controls that were initiated under Obama."