People Can Change
Dear Editor,
Regarding your Rhino Shorts piece on Sharon Contreras: Instead of bringing up all the reasons why Ms. Contreras may have run/jumped/was pushed out at Syracuse – all of which was just innuendo – why not give the woman at least six months to show whether she is up to the job here in Greensboro? Then if she proves unworthy of the task, you can slam her all you want. But at least you would have a valid reason(s). Even if everything you implied about her in Syracuse is true, people can still learn from their mistakes, and then change, grow and measure up to their new responsibilities.
If Ms. Contreras does prove incapable of running Guilford County schools, I will be among her most vehement critics. But right now I am willing to withhold judgment. All I’m asking is you do the same.
John Pugh
Still Too Much On Top
Dear Editor,
It was with much interest that I recently read your article in the Rhino Times titled, “School Salaries Flat at the Top.” For while this may be true, can you explain the following.
Four regional superintendents make a total of $575,840 (Randall Shaver, $148,540; Phyllis Martin, $145,220; Anne Sheehan, $143,540; Tony Watlington, $138,540).
And four regional executive directors make a total of $430,574 (Sandra Culmer, $115, 287; Darcy Kemp, $108,114; Valerie Akins, $103,838; Anna Brady, $103,335).
This is a combined total of $1,006,414.
Can someone explain to me the following?
One: What is the difference between a regional superintendent and an regional executive director? What is the job description of each? Isn’t there some overlap in these positions?
Two: Why do we need a total of eight people in these positions?
Three: Who do the regional superintendents report to now that Superintendent Mo Green has left? Is there “dual reporting” now that Chief Information Officer Terrence Young ($154,368) and Chief of Staff Nora Carr ($153,816) are acting as co-interim superintendents?
Four: Who do the regional executive directors report to? Why do we need four of these?
With a combined salary total for all eight positions of over $1 million, isn’t this overkill?
Having served on a school board in Pennsylvania for six years, the subject of salaries was always one that called for close scrutiny. I can tell you, though, that we never had the situation where we had eight different people involved with a region – four being called superintendents and four being called executive directors.
I noted your comment in the article that said, “Still, it appears that the school salary list represents an improvement in the educational philosophy – with school-based personnel being paid more while central office administration remain about the same as they have been.” That’s all well and good, and we need to get raises down to the teaching level, but is anyone looking at the numbers and salaries of central and regional office administrators just like what we see above? What is the justification for paying over $1 million for eight regional administrators?
Perhaps Allen Duncan could look into the “justification” and report back.
Thanks very much. Always look forward to your annual listing of salaries, be they city, county or school district. Keep up the good work.
Gerald McCabe
Socialism Loses, Again
Dear Editor,
As Zimbabwe descends into chaos, like Venezuela, it is instructive to examine those countries to determine why they have destroyed the well-being and happiness of their citizens. For it is the role of government to protect and enhance the lives of their citizens, rather than devastate them, at least that is what liberals, leftists, statists and others who worship the cult of government promise, is it not?
The poor gullible millions who buy what their masters sell them are beyond hope. The more the people believe their government, the more they are enslaved. Or, as Goethe put it, “None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who believe they are free.” How apt is that for 21st century America?
Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia, was the breadbasket of Africa – and is now the basket case of Africa. A more perfect real world example of capitalism versus socialism would be harder to find. West Germany compared with East Germany was good, as Germans under socialism risked their lives to reach capitalism, but Rhodesia/Zimbabwe is even better because Rhodesia was prevented from trading internationally – as a land-locked country – by global sanctions, yet its people enjoyed a comfortable living.
After they were “freed” by the Lancaster House Agreement in 1980, they chose Robert Mugabe for their leader, an unreconstucted follower of the credo, from each according to their ability, to each according to their need.
Its specious moralising is repugnant to all freedom lovers, for its inherent element of coercion is immediately apparent. The fruit of your labor will be confiscated as your government sees fit, on the pretext of giving it to those who are more worthy.
So it goes in Zimbabwe, which is why the country that exported food and tobacco and other commodities in profusion 40 years ago can no longer even feed itself today.
Similar devastation has occurred in the major oil rich state of Venezuela, which embraced equally pure socialism.
Government is a parasite. It cannot create prosperity, which is derived only from profit, the creation of wealth where there was none before. The state simply takes from those who create wealth, against their will. It is founded on an act of theft, of implied coercion and of violence. That is why socialism is morally bankrupt.
As George Washington put it, “Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force.”
Those who pledge their troth to it will find that they have become slaves, whether in Zimbabwe, Venezuela or the United States of America – sooner or later.
Austin Morris
One Man’s Waste …
Dear Editor,
Who owns your placenta? A woman in Mississippi, Jordan Thiering, wants to keep her placenta after she gives birth.
Some woman want to freeze their placentas and save them for their genetic material in case their children have medical problems in the future. Some women want to bury their placentas in the ground and plant trees over them. And, believe it or not, some women actually want to eat their placentas because they say that this will help alleviate postpartum depression.
Jordan Thiering╩was told that her placenta was medical waste so she had to get a court order to take her placenta home.
Should hospitals, or governments, have the power to confiscate and destroy a woman’s placenta? What other genetic material can hospitals, and governments, confiscate and how long to they get to hold on to this stuff? What does our state government consider to be medical waste?
I think that any woman who wants to take her placenta home should be allowed to do so.
Chuck Mann
2016 Looks Like 1984
Dear Editor,
I strongly recommend everyone read George Orwell’s book 1984.
In it you’ll find reference to something called “newspeak.” This was Big Brother’s way of controlling the people by altering the language to suit their agenda. Once you have read it and see the numerous examples of newspeak, take a look at what is happening around you. Look at the incredibly blatant attempt by dear leader’s regime to rewrite the Orlando incident and make it seem anything but what it was, an act of fundamental Islamic terrorism.
Even mindless Obamabots should feel insulted and outraged at the overt and open insult to our intelligence. This is what they think of us. In 1984, what you thought you knew was constantly changing. Of the three major powers in the world, two were always at war with one and allegiances changed regular. Today’s friend was tomorrows foe and vice versa. But Big Brother was always there to make sure you knew what was what. Big Brother told you what to say, think and believe, what was right and wrong. Big Brother took care of everybody all the time.
Read the book then look around you. “Trigger words,” “micro aggressions,” “safe spaces.” All are newspeak.
Another thing was the use of peer pressure to get people to conform, putting labels on them, associating them with “radical” causes and groups. Doing things like calling someone a racist, a homophobe, intolerant … Oh wait, that’s going on here and now. They don’t know you from Adam, but they’ve been told to label you because you don’t think like them. That’ll make you conform and fall into line.
Avoid becoming a sheeple. Challenge them. Demand they prove their statements. They call you a racist? Remind them there is only one race, the human race. They call you a homophobe? Tell them you aren’t afraid of homosexuals and to check the definition. Phobia is the fear of something, not hating it.
If you use the golden rule as your standard, live your life as you see fit and be your own person, these snowflakes will have no effect on you. Be what made this country great. Teach your children the same. Don’t become wussified like that reporter that fired an AR-15 once and claimed short term PTSD as a result.
Be an American, not a sheeple.
Stand for what you believe.
Go Galt and go vote
Alan Marshall
Whose Lives Matter?
Dear Editor,
I am tired of hearing “black lives matter.” I did not see any demonstrations for the five policemen who were killed in Dallas. I did not see any demonstration for the murders of black people in Greensboro who were killed by other black people. It is only when a white person kills that we get demonstrations.
I guess that white lives don’t matter.
We then have a letter, “Go Galt.” This only inflames the public but does not present any sort of solution. It would be nice if everyone had a job. They do not. That is a fact. Are they entitled to handouts? No, they are not. But we have to fix the system that got them to that point. We have to curtail the blatant corruption in the welfare system. Then maybe we can get a better America.
Donald Charters
A Sad State
Dear Editor,
The ’80s were fun and America had Johnny Cash, Bob Hope and Ronald Reagan, and now we have no cash, no hope and Obama.
The United States of America is feared by no one these days. Thanks, Obama.
This nation has gone down hill by giving away free phones and health care on the backs of the taxpayer.
The fair trade concept has become where America loses jobs, and thanks to NAFTA and China, jobs are far and few.
The liberals have changed God’s word in the Bible from Adam and Eve to Adam and Steve.
This country now takes in refugees from all over and guess who pays the bill? Taxpayers. And of course liberal welfare junkies love the idea but they don’t have to pay for it; this is the Bernie Sanders way of life.
The criminal system has changed where society makes cops criminals and criminals saints. This nation now has Black Lives Matter movements where oddly enough white people are not the main cause of black lives being lost, but the liberals will overlook that.
We have Hillary Clinton who can’t stop lying for one second. She lies so much even she thinks it’s true; the women is the ultimate liar and her supporters are the biggest fools, but America has plenty of fools, so she will win the White House.
The people and press will cover up Clinton’s email law violation but they will be quick to point out violations of others. Funny, Nixon erased a few minutes of tape and he left the White House and Hillary Clinton let thousands of emails out and she gets in the White House.
This nation is in sad shape; the Democrats have failed and the Republicans are useless and far from united.
Sal Leone
Busy Private Server
Dear Editor,
Hillary has accomplished a truly amazing feat of administration. She has managed to run the State Department entirely with a private server. This means she can’t have received any classified documents on her server.
The obvious corollary is that she can’t have replied to emails she couldn’t have received. What did she do, use telepathy? Perhaps she wrote and received everything by US Postal Service.
For her personal use alone she states she used 30,000 emails. That comes down to roughly 7,500 a year. Yes, she truly is a wonder woman.
It’s a good job Congress has the intellectual capacity of a slug. Otherwise, they might have figured this simple anomaly out.
Ed Philpott
Seeking Balance
Dear Editor,
Our nation was born from many different peoples hoping to unite in freedom. Herein, E Pluribus Unum, which means, “from many one,” may predestine us to become the earth’s spiritual center within a civilized world. As such, we must not worship our separate and limited impressions but hold on to the illuminations we receive therein. These will be the illuminations that feed a one-soul view. In this regard, self-serving short-term views that satisfy only the desires of the physical mind or body are not likely to satisfy our soul.
Today, illuminations we receive from sharia views rarely illuminate our souls. The Christian crusades, in their time, served no less of a spiritual purpose. Our nation, as well as the world, should seek and just might find the reality of what can become illuminating values within E Pluribus Unum. Herein, it’s not the materialistic view “over” the spiritual or visa versa, but the perfect balance between them that unites us.
Ray Hylton
Send to letters@rhinotimes.com or P.O. Box 9023, Greensboro 27429
