11/12 Letters: Umstead Coalition, cyclists group should drop plan to appeal judge’s RDU decision
Judge’s RDU decision
Many thanks to Superior Court Judge Graham Shirley II for upholding Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority’s right to enter into a long-term lease with Wake Stone Corp. (Nov. 8)
The Umstead Coalition and Triangle Off-Road Cyclists should look beyond their special interests and drop their plans to appeal Shirley’s order.
Theorder clearly spells out that, under the law, RDU is an independent municipal authority with the task of operating the airport in the best interests of the region, not just cyclists who have abundant recreational opportunities outside of Umstead State Park.
Keeping local politics out of airport operations is a major advantage of the authority structure. Limited ability to raise funds is a major disadvantage. RDU has a major funding challenge to keep the airport modern and attractive to passengers as well current and prospective airlines. The Wake Stone lease is a part of the funding solution.
Rick Martinez, Wake Forest
Durham light rail
Regarding “Light rail failure ‘eroded public confidence’ in transit planners GoTriangle, report says,” (Nov. 9):
Orange and Durham County leaders, along with Durham Mayor Steve Schewel, are accountable for wasting $160 million local dollars.
Local governments have yet to call for an evaluation that deals with the nuts and bolts of whether this project would have addressed our regional transit problem had it been built. Yet, Orange County commissioners are already planning to put in place the identical framework of keeping GoTriangle and Durham in charge of our transit dollars by merely tweaking the cost-share agreement, instead of scrapping it and starting over.
The lesson to be learned from this report is that GoTriangle and oversight boards made up of non-expert cheerleaders are not a winning recipe for bringing public transit to our region.
Julie McClintock, Chapel Hill
Thanks, Bob Hall
Regarding “Complaint says top North Carolina Republican is taking donors’ money for personal gain,” (Nov. 6):
Thursday, Dylan Watts of the N.C. Republican Party said: “This is another example of Bob Hall being a bottom-feeder and a scumbag.” Watts owes Hall a sincere apology.
I have for years observed and appreciated Hall’s selfless work to strengthen democratic processes in North Carolina. We citizens, whatever our political party, have all benefited from his insistence that politics and elections be done right. He deserves our deepest thanks for his service.
By the way, Hall is exactly right in his allegations. When a politician takes money given to him for political campaigning and spends it to buy a house, he is using the funds for personal gain.
Patrick Conway, Chapel Hill
NC Farmers Market
In the excitement of the new master plan by the North Carolina State Farmers Market credit its leadership, together with Dix Park Conservancy, for an important step in development at the edge they share. It sets the stage for consideration of the market’s single greatest asset — Dix Park.
Successful master plans are guides, not blueprints. They reveal issues and challenge expectations about what a farmer’s market, next to a world class park, wants to be.
In the proposed master plan we can now see what an ordinary plan might accomplish. Next comes the fun part: developing an extraordinary one. Insist upon it.
The master plan is the beginning of maximum utility for market and park, fiscal efficiency overall, and a whole greater than the sum of its parts.
Dream big!
Douglas A. Johnston, Raleigh
Teacher pay
I want to commend Gov. Roy Cooper for vetoing the General Assembly’s teacher pay raises. The raises don’t go far enough in fairly compensating us for our hard work with North Carolina’s children and teens.
In his continued negotiations with the legislature on this issue, I strongly encourage the governor to demand the restoration of master’s degree pay for teachers like me and many others who started and earned their graduate degree after 2013, when the legislature revoked master’s pay for all future graduates of a master’s program.
It is vital that the governor doesn’t overlook this essential component of improving teacher compensation .
Erin Meadows, Asheville
Taxing billionaires
I am a teacher, as is my husband, and we are struggling to afford to send our kids to college. I cannot believe that billionaires are freaking out over paying a little more tax.
This level of fear only confirms that money is more important to these billionaires than the stability of the middle class and the country as a whole.
We taught our children to share their lunches with those who don’t have. It’s sad that these billionaire’s weren’t taught that by their parents.
Leah Perry, Raleigh