Opinion
4A / Friday, June 4, 2010 / The Sanford Herald
Editorial Board: Bill Horner III, Publisher • Billy Liggett, Editor • R.V. Hight, Special Projects Editor
BRAC convention worth the trip The numbers, even though they’ve fluctuated over the last couple of years, are still staggering: more than 4,000 uniformed soldiers and a support force of more than 1,000 civilian workers are expected to be moving to North Carolina as part of BRAC. BRAC — in case you haven’t picked up the lingo, it’s the acronym for the Base Realignment and Closure program of U. S. Forces Command and the U. S. Army Reserve Command — means the relocation of those forces to a new headquarters being constructed in Fort Bragg. Targeted to take place by the fall of next year, BRAC has ignited the hopes of an 11-
county region in North Carolina selected to work directly with FORSCOM in Fort McPherson, Georgia, in the relocation effort. Most, if not all, of those transferring workers and their families are expected to call some part of the 11-county region as “home.” For the fortunate final destinations, that means an influx of highly-trained military personnel and their families, as well as the support staff and civilian contract forces and their families. How many will land in Lee County? It’s impossible to say. The competition is fierce and Lee County is on the geographic pe-
rimeter of the 11-county region. It’s logical to think that many of the affected forces would prefer to be as close to Fort Bragg as possible, but spouses who need to work, children who need to be educated, and amenity needs that have to be met will play factors in the decision-making process. Ease of access will help our county’s cause. As one official pointed out, even landing 10 percent of families choosing to move here would be significant for our market. Local officials will get some kind of idea this weekend. Starting today, some 50 of them — Chamber of Commerce officials, bankers, elected officials and
representatives from schools, churches, Central Carolina Hospital and other businesses — are in Atlanta making their pitch to the affected personnel. They’ll be joined by a similarly-represented crowd from neighboring Moore County, Lee County’s partner in this unique one-time expo; while the other nine counties have made similar forays down to the area to promote, this is the first time Lee County has had this kind of chance to have the FORSCOM crowd “to itself.” No one expects BRAC to be a panacea for Lee County. But it would be foolish not to make the pitch. Stay tuned.
Scott Mooneyham Today in North Carolina Scott Mooneyham is a columnist with Capitol Press Association
Fighting and fussing
R
ALEIGH — The North Carolina General Assembly has been in town for more than two weeks now, and most of legislators’ focus has been on putting together a state budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Still, it is an election year. Even if there’s not much to fuss and feud about just yet, Democrats and Republicans have perfected the art of fighting over nothing. Here are a few things that they’ve been beating on each other about: n It’s no secret that Gov. Beverly Perdue and her administration hope to win some federal grant money for public schools under what’s called the Race to the Top program. N.C. missed the target when the feds handed out the first round of grants. Republicans quickly jumped on the state’s cap on independent charter schools — schools that the Obama administration supports — as a reason. Perdue and legislative Democrats don’t want to miss again. To improve the state’s standing, they fashioned legislation creating three options to redesign 135 or so low-performing schools. The bill was dubbed “charter schools lite” when one of the options looked a lot like a charter school, minus an independent board of trustees to run it. Republicans thought the exercise a bit absurd. Every chance they got, they yelled at Democrats to take a more direct approach, to lift the cap on charter schools. More charter schools is what the Obama administration really wants, said Republican state Rep. Nelson Dollar of Wake County. Sure, but it’s not exactly what the Democrat-friendly teachers’ union wants. n Looking to shore up their election standing, legislative Democrats have been tripping over themselves coming up with tax breaks ideas for small business. The state’s budget picture isn’t pretty, but Senate Democrats scraped up $40 million to cap small business taxes at the same rate paid by larger corporations. House Democrats, following Perdue’s lead, want to provide tax credits for hiring, for providing health insurance for employees, and for investing in new equipment. Republicans call the tax breaks “gimmicks.” “Will anyone hire anyone because of that tax credit? I don’t think so,” House Minority Leader Paul “Skip” Stam said of one of the House Democrats’ proposals. Apparently the only good tax break is a Republican tax break. Or, maybe partisanship has become so intense in Raleigh that Republicans oppose even tax breaks that Democrats favor. n Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger wants to make tax penalties go both ways. He filed a bill to require the state to pay taxpayers a penalty when the Department of Revenue fails to provide a refunds within 45 days of a tax return being filed. The Rockingham County Republican’s bill comes after two straight years in which the state has managed a budget shortfall, in part, by delaying tax returns. Berger’s bill might serve as an incentive to hurry up those returns. If not, where will the money for those penalties come from? Oh yeah, taxpayers.
Letters to the Editor Another good reason to live in Sanford To the Editor: After 58 years living in Michigan and 14 years living in Sanford, I’d like to state again: “It never would have happened this way in Michigan.” Check page 242 in the 2007 Lee County Centennial Book for other such incidents. The Thursday before the Memorial Day weekend, I was feeling a twinge of discomfort in a tooth and by Friday night, the discomfort was causing me to lose sleep. It was highly uncomfortable, but not to the point I’d call Dr. Fisher at home. So, after a Tylenol or two and careful chewing, I progressed through to Tuesday morning. Tuesday morning, I went to Dr. Fisher’s office and admitted to the receptionist I had an unscheduled tooth pain that I thought needed an X-Ray and a professional opinion. I told her the tooth was about 72 years old and maybe was just saying goodbye. I was asked to sit down and out came my files and — lo and behold — there was some room in the sequence of appointments that day. Dr. Fisher expected some “emergencies” over the weekend, so he scheduled a bit of time to handle those on the first day after the weekend. I was taken in, a root canal was performed, and I am living happily ever after. It never would have happened that way in Michigan. Thanks Dr. Fisher and staff. JOHN ALTENBURGER Sanford
Hornet’s nest of a law S
AN DIEGO — A reader demands that the media stop pussyfooting around and call the new Arizona immigration law what it is: “The Mexican Removal Act.” Too harsh? Not if you saw a recent story by a Phoenix television station that examined hundreds of e-mails exchanged between supporters of the legislation and its sponsor, state Sen. Russell Pearce. Here is how one constituent described the bill’s purpose: “I Ruben Navarrette Jr. think it is about time we take our state and Columnist country back from the Mexicans.” Many othRuben Navarrette Jr. is a columnist with ers offered similar comments. The San Diego Union-Tribune The truth can be ugly. But we shouldn’t turn a blind eye to it. worried. Some of them either live in Arizona And here is the reality: There is a segor travel there often and are concerned about ment of the U.S. population that would like being accosted by police relying on a flimsy to turn back the demographic clock to a excuse. Beaver Cleaver era when a headline declarThis simply would never happen, the first ing “Whites to be U.S. minority by 2050” group assures me with the absolute confiwas inconceivable. Yet according to Census dence of those who have nothing to lose if Bureau estimates, the U.S. Latino population their assumptions are wrong. is expected to triple in the next 40 years. Besides pining away for Beaver Cleaver, Not if Arizona has anything to say about it. their image of police is stuck on squeaky No sir. Why? Because “it is about time what clean Joe Friday. “Just the facts, ma’am.” we take our state and country back from the Here are the facts: (1) Arizona lawmakers Mexicans.” have boxed police officers in with a law that This isn’t to say that the new law is inherrequires them — under threat of litigation ently racist, or that ev— to check the citizenship eryone who supports it is ‘This isn’t to say that the of anyone they suspect racist. But one would have of being in the country new law is inherently racto be naive to run off in the illegally once they make opposite direction and laist, or that everyone who contact due to an alleged bel the measure, or the passupports it is racist. But infraction; (2) the list of sions fueling it, race-neuone would have to be naive “infractions” is broad tral — as if intimidating, to run off in the opposite enough to include everyoffending, inconveniencing thing from trespassing to direction and label the and scaring off as many vagrancy to soliciting work Latinos as possible was an measure, or the passions to attending a party where unintended consequence fueling it, race-neutral...’ the music is too loud; and instead of the prime objec(3) police officers are going tive. to do everything they can to fulfill their obliThere is no shortage of naivete. Faced gations under the law. with a law that turns local and state police And, as human beings, those officers will into makeshift immigration agents — withfi nd it difficult not to give in to their prejudicout the additional training that real federal es. Take it from the experts. Among the critics immigration agents must complete — many of the Arizona law I heard from is a Latino Americans have decided that racial profiling police sergeant in a major U.S. city who, after is harmless as long as some other group is more than 25 years on the job, knows how profiled. this game is going to play out. What is in short supply is empathy. Some “You’re right,” he wrote, “in the real world identify with those who feel that their state of policing as a peace officer on the street, is being invaded, its services abused and any tool will be used to gain an advantage resources depleted. Others align themselves during any contact. It’s our nature to be prowith those who worry about being treated as active.” second-class citizens because of ethnicity, Which is why the rest of us have to be just skin color, accent or another characteristic as proactive in pointing out what an indefenthat makes them appear “foreign” in their sible law this is — especially to those who are own country. Neither camp seems interested determined to defend it. in the other’s point of view. I’m getting an earful from both sides. In the last few weeks, I’ve received dozens of e-mails from people who assure me that LatiHerod ... was troubled (Matt. 2:3); The nos who are U.S. citizens or have a legal right wise men rejoiced. (Matt. 2:10) to be in the United States have no reason PRAYER: Father, we thank you for sendto be offended by the new law and nothing ing Your Son into the world so that we may to worry about. And I’ve received dozens of have everlasting life, if we trust in Him. e-mails from Latinos who fall into those catAmen. egories and who tell me they’re offended and
Today’s Prayer
Disappointment in president has nothing to do with party affiliation To the Editor: In response to Neil Rotter, I offer the following. Please show where I indicated any party affiliation. I did not, and I qualified my remarks to this sole incident. I am disappointed every time a person does not uphold their responsibilities in office, regardless of party. With regard to President Bush and Normandy, please find a more sacred spot to the military outside of Arlington. The cemetery where Abraham Lincoln is buried is very important and deserving of a presidential visit. President Obama is from Illinois; he should have already visited this cemetery as senator. On Memorial Day, during wartime, may not be the appropriate time. That is why I am disappointed. You bring party affiliations into this situation where none is necessary. I am not certain why; I will not assume as you have. As an independent voter, I have been encouraged to finally speak up and against those things to which I object. This is one occasion, and there will be others. The current energizing of local interest in government can have a great impact. I am not alone in my disappointment in our current leaders. I encourage everyone who can to speak up for their values. Regardless of whom you support, they must represent you. We are a republic, a representative democracy. It is time for our leaders to remember that they represent us and not themselves. MIKE NEAL Sanford
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