I don’t want a Wake County sheriff who will obstruct justice

Wake sheriff

Regarding “Wake Sheriff candidates divided on collaborating with ICE on immigration matters,” (April 18):

Do we really want a Wake County sheriff who doesn’t cooperate with the federal government? If an illegal or undocumented immigrant is wanted for a crime, I want that person behind bars or deported.

I don’t want my sheriff obstructing justice. I don’t want to live in a sanctuary city or have a sheriff providing sanctuary to criminals. Regardless of party affiliation, I want a sheriff who does his very best to protect the citizens of Wake County.

Robert C. Jensen, Holly Springs

Charter schools

The writer served in the N.C. Senate 1997-2013.

Ned Barnett’s April 14 Opinion column on charter school expansion pointed out the clustering of these charter schools’ effect on traditional school budgets. I voted for charter schools in the legislature when they were first proposed, in part, as a way to explore creative teaching that could enhance school experience in North Carolina.

But I felt that one of the most important ways to keep charter schools truly public and available to every family was to require charters to provide lunch and transportation for students who needed those services, just as traditional public schools do. Without that, charter schools could become segregated by income and race, which has proved true.

That those requirements have never been enacted into law is a failure of our legislature.

Any expansion should first insist on legislation that requires all charter schools to provide lunch and transportation. Until then, there should be no expansion.

Eleanor Kinnaird, Chapel Hill

Charter guardrails

The writer is the Susan B. King Professor Emerita of Public Policy and Economics at Duke University.

Regarding “NC charter school backers fight federal grant rule changes,” (April 17):

How distressing it is for charter school supporters in North Carolina to oppose the proposed changes in the federal program that provides development grants for new and expanding charter schools.

State and local taxpayers cover the operating costs of charter schools, as well as the negative spillovers that they impose on local school districts. This public funding requires policy makers to pay attention not only to the benefits for enrolled students, but also to the collective or public interests that justify public funding for education.

The guardrails proposed under the federal charter school program are designed to protect these public interests by reducing financial fraud, limiting racial resegregation, and promoting local community interests.

Shouldn’t the state add such common-sense guardrails to its charter school policies as well?

Helen Ladd, Chapel Hill

Student loans

Regarding “NC members of Congress want to ease the pain of student loans. Let’s go further.” (April 19 Opinion):

For years people have been voluntarily taking out student loans to get a degree and better jobs. They have fulfilled their legal, moral and self-respect obligations by repaying them. Some did it by living in their parents’ basement or driving decrepit jalopies or taking the bus to work. These are admirable people..

Now they’re being asked, along with other taxpayers, to contribute some of their earnings to people who want to get out of their obligations.

Congress can make loan “forgiveness” into law, but it’s the individual taxpayer who makes it work. This in a country that already has an unsupportable national debt. Vote out the rascals in Congress who are pandering for the vote over American interests.

Harry Pollitt, Chapel Hill

Budd, debates

Where has strength of character gone? Nearing 70 years old, I believe for the first time I am seeing a candidate in a U.S. Senate race refuse to debate without reason.

Isn’t the idea to have a position on issues that you want to go face to face with other candidates so that voters can hear ideas and plans from all candidates and make a decision?

Well, apparently not for U.S. Senate candidate Ted Budd, who has refused to debate his opponents.

No one hiding from the facts should even be allowed on the ballot. Stand for something or fall for anything.

D. R. Griffin, Wendell

This story was originally published April 20, 2022 at 11:22 AM with the headline "I don’t want a Wake County sheriff who will obstruct justice."