NC senators sit on their hands while Trump sidesteps Senate to put Tata in a Pentagon post

Tony Tata

Once again, President Trump circumvents political norms by placing an un-vetted crony and big-dollar donor in a powerful position, this time in the Pentagon.

Tony Tata, a controversial figure due to his well-publicized bigotry, has now been designated as the official person performing the duties of the deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, since his nomination for that position would not have passed Senate confirmation.

Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, as usual, sit on their hands while Trump siphons off more and more Congressional power to the executive branch. One shudders to think what Republican reaction would have been had President Obama done this.

Trump has surrounded himself with “acting” cronies and big donors, which the Senate should be vetting and confirming. These men, and they are by far all white men, answer to no one but Trump, and Trump answers to no one.

Laurie McDowell, Raleigh

Defunding police

The current debate over defunding law enforcement agencies is highly charged on both sides. There is no question that decisions concerning proper funding levels for law enforcement are legislative matters to be decided by legislative bodies.

But, the decisions made by city and county governments to revise their budgets or reallocate resources will certainly impact the administration of justice. Adequately funded law enforcement is a condition precedent to a properly functioning judicial system that protects the innocent, punishes the guilty, and maintains the respect and confidence of the public.

The requirements and regulations imposed on law enforcement are strict. The responsibility and trust society places in law enforcement to protect liberty, preserve constitutional rights, and solve crime demands strict adherence to the law and procedure.

Someone recently said police officers make more constitutional decisions on a daily basis than any judge. There is a lot of truth in that statement. So, whatever decision is made locally concerning appropriate funding levels, it will eventually affect the court system, the administration of justice and your rights as a citizen.

Judge Phil Berger, Jr.

N.C. Court of Appeals

Jobless benefits

One topic that keeps recurring in the debate over a COVID relief package is the moral hazard of “paying people not to work” by extending the $600 unemployment benefit included in the initial relief package.

It seems not to have occurred to some that we are in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and that some people might not be able to find work. Or, that during a pandemic they might be concerned about risking their health or exposing others to infection.

The assumption that if people are not working now it’s because they prefer being on the dole is not only callous but reveals a willful obliviousness to the grim realities that so many now face.

Lynn Mitchell Kohn, Durham

A cruel stalemate

I am a live events worker with over 16 years in the industry and have found myself unemployed for the first time in my life. It is apparent to me that the major political parties find the entertainment and hospitality industries as pawns in their petty games.

Put down the partisan wish lists and pass a simple coronavirus relief bill that keeps us afloat until the quarantine is over.

Any logical constituent blames both sides for this cruel stalemate. The two-party system is beyond broken and an insult to the vision of our Founding Fathers and the principles of representative democracy.

Laura Greenwood, Raleigh

Presidential debate

President Trump keeps moving that laser beam so we’ll follow the little red dot — his one-liners designed to distract. That’s what he does best. After almost four years of this, there is no need for debates to hear more of it. Debates are a waste of time, money and effort when we need to be fighting this virus that is killing us.

Juanita Fontaine, Durham

J. Peder Zane

Regarding “Remote learning adds to inequality” (Aug. 4 Opinion):

J. Peder Zane says “we must acknowledge that disadvantaged students will pay the heaviest price for our current decisions” In reality, it’s not our current decisions, but our past ideological, limited and reduced infrastructure investment decisions that affect our children and their education and life opportunities.

There are no winners when the pathway to individual and family success in any society is from inside a room locked by the gatekeepers of the money — such as the N.C. legislative majority of the past decade.

I wish Zane would use his intelligence and voice for progress, not a tirade of casting – wrongly – the blame on those from whom resources are deliberately withheld.

Scott Radway, Chapel Hill