Immigration reform is urgent. It should have remained in the $3.5T spending bill.

Path to citizenship

It is long past time to pass comprehensive immigration reform. I am deeply disappointed that the Senate parliamentarian decided to exclude immigration reform from the $3.5 trillion budget bill.

We need to provide a pathway to citizenship for the Dreamers who work here as teachers, doctors, social workers. As a nation, we depend on the farm workers who harvest our food. They deserve to become citizens. I consider immigrants essential workers.

We are a nation of immigrants. These people deserve our gratitude, not repression.

Gail Phares, Raleigh

Anti-maskers

We have recently encountered stores in North Carolina with signs on the doors that say: “Masks are not allowed in this store” next to “Live free or die” signs. There are now tents set up at our hospitals because they are overwhelmed with COVID patients. It is not OK to intimidate older people and people with cancer into not wearing their masks, risking their lives with this highly contagious delta virus. What harm do we do by wearing our masks in those stores? This is not a political game, we are trying to stay alive.

Karen McGrew, Raleigh

COVID and kids

Regarding “NC Gov. Cooper calls for end to school board bullying as youth have highest COVID rate,” (Sept. 22):

When Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, tells us that patients younger than 17 made up a third of all new COVID-19 cases, perhaps we need to look at one of the largest spreader of all — the school buses.

Herbert M. Eckerlin

Professor emeritus of mechanical and aerospace engineering, NCSU

Madison Cawthorn

Regarding “Johnston votes to continue requiring masks in schools,” (Sept. 21):

Hats off to the school board in Johnston County for their recent decision to maintain the mask mandate in schools. U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn led a group of followers to bully the school board into submission. He has appeared at a number of school boards with the same goal in mind. This time, in Johnston County, he met his match. The school board wisely voted to keep the mask mandate. Hopefully, other school boards will follow suit when faced with loud, angry and misinformed protesters. Cawthorn needs to go back to his own district.

Laura Stillman, Raleigh

A greener Durham

Over 100 U.S. cities have already adopted their own plans to fully rely on sustainable sources of energy, including big cities like NYC and LA. So have scores of smaller cities, like Ithaca, N.Y.

Some states are responding too. In 2019, Maine passed a law establishing a Green New Deal for Maine.

So why can’t Durham adopt its own “Green New Deal?” In addition to taking on the climate crisis, countering environmental injustices, providing a healthier environment, and creating thousands of living wage jobs, Durham could become a model southern city for sustainability.

We cannot wait for federal and state governments to do what’s needed, so let’s get started in Durham.

Timothy McGloin, Durham

Community cats

Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin recently came under fire for feeding a friendly outdoor cat. It reignited debate surrounding these animals.

The good news is that there are many policy solutions to manage populations humanely, the most effective being Trap Neuter Vaccinate and Return (TNVR). It is a veterinarian-approved, cost-effective and common sense way to keep community cats safe and healthy while reducing their numbers over time.

It entails humanely trapping, neutering, vaccinating and returning them to their original outdoor locations. TNVR prevents unwanted litters, reduces nuisance behaviors and complaints, and creates safer neighborhoods by increasing the number of vaccinated animals. It also decreases the number of cats unnecessarily dying in shelters.

Wake County is further ahead of many N.C. counties when it comes to effectively managing community cats. Other local municipalities should align their ordinances in support of modern policy recommendations.

John Graves

East Region Strategist for Best Friends Animal Society based in Manteo