After a stark look at our state’s urban-rural divide I’ve got a urgent message for NC lawmakers | Opinion

A tale of 2 states

I knew there was an urban/rural divide in North Carolina but I got a stark reminder during a recent visit to Lenoir County. I grew up there, still have ties to the area, and was very saddened by what I saw.

There were a multitude of vacant storefronts in Kinston, Deep Run and Pink Hill. I saw rundown buildings that need to be demolished, many houses and mobile homes in disrepair, a bank closure in Pink Hill, and empty streets and sidewalks.

The contrast and disparity of that stretch of U.S. 70 and N.C. 11 in Lenoir County compared to my home in the Triangle, which is bustling with activity, growth and prosperity, made me heartsick.

I urge N.C. legislators: Do something. Instead of spending another nanosecond on limiting reproductive, transgender and voting rights, focus on bringing economic development and recovery to eastern North Carolina.

Eleanor Goettee, Cary

Raleigh parking

Regarding “Raleigh raises parking ticket fees in, near Glenwood South,” (June 7):

The City of Raleigh has raised parking citation fees to a shocking level in an attempt to resolve crowded streets. This is an unintended consequence of a situation the Raleigh City Council should never have allowed to happen: the overbuilding of the area without requiring developers to provide ample, free parking for each project.

Laurence Marks, Raleigh

Glenwood South

Regarding “In Raleigh, Glenwood South is booming and a headache,” (June 2 Opinion):

Downtown Raleigh will never have the appeal of San Francisco or Boston because we have no longstanding cafe culture, hilltop vistas or waterfront. Glenwood South is Dodge City without the cattle.

Raleigh’s topography is similar to that of the Los Angeles Basin. My old street in an affluent section of LA had a private police patrol and rigorously restricted parking. If residential neighbors within staggering distance of Glenwood South can’t tolerate midnight gunfights and partiers peeing in their gardens, they’ll need private policing and permit-only parking. Their only other alternative is to move — because what happens in Glenwood South doesn’t stay in Glenwood South.

Randall Rickman, Raleigh

GOP values

Regarding “NC GOP slammed for racist ‘pimp’ tweet about Rev. William Barber,” (June 2):

A portion of a June 1 tweet on the NC GOP Twitter account said “...Republicans work to protect the good old timeless values of the USA.” Is that values like providing a sound basic education to children? Allowing women to make their own medical decisions? Determining what books can be in a library? Excluding the LGBTQ community? Designing methods to keep marginal citizens from voting? Drawing election districts to assure GOP majorities? Encouraging poverty with a $7.25 minimum wage? Are those “good old timeless values of the USA?”

Patrick Nalley, Durham

Debt deal

So our national leaders managed to kick the can down the road on the debt ceiling until 2025. We should be so grateful. How about balancing the budget next time, so that our national deficit doesn’t add to our debt? Perhaps we could even consider paying off the national debt, or at least a substantial portion of it, say over the next 30 years, like we do our mortgages. We’d have to cut expenses (hint: the military) and/or increase our taxes (hopefully on the very rich), but we’d save money on our interest payments and relieve our children’s children of a future headache. It may be too much to swallow all at once, but we really need to make a start.

Bob Brown, Cary

Pay off the debt

The two political parties that run “our” government have no intention of paying off their government debt. If they did they would lower, not raise, the debt limit. I think that we need a national law, or constitutional amendment, that states there will be no increase in government spending, or borrowing, until the government debt is paid off.

Chuck Mann, Greensboro

GOP tax cuts

The American public is exhausted with Republican talking points that we can’t afford X, Y or Z when we see how much money is being given to billionaires through tax cuts. The rich must pay more. Period. Republicans need to stop trying to make the middle class pay the bill for the rich and stop trying to tank the economy to win votes.

Amalia Ferreiro, Durham

My No. 1 issue

Climate change is my principle issue when voting. All other matters, no matter how critical — be they police overreach, reproductive rights, a morally and ethically bankrupt Supreme Court, rampant corruption in the election process, or corporate monopolies allowed to dictate policy — pale compared to the issue of climate change. It is the single biggest and most important issue facing the country and world.

As we gear up for the 2024 election season, I urge Gov. Roy Cooper and all N.C. legislators to be very clear as to their commitment to combating climate change and what policies they will fight for. Other issues are of critical importance, but they are secondary to having breathable air, drinkable water, and a survivable atmosphere.

Robert Aldrich, Raleigh