Education policy placed under threat

I work with immigrant high school students. Each June, I watch very intelligent teens who want to be nurses, dentists, business leaders and teachers become nannies, house-cleaners and short-order cooks.

The recently enacted policy to admit any qualified N.C. high school graduate to our public colleges and universities created an opportunity important to these students and to all of us, as North Carolina experiences an increasing shortage of educated workers in these very professions.

This policy is under threat. Even though undocumented students pay a tuition that is higher than the actual cost of their education, the state attorney general is seeking to bar them from the classroom.

Immigrant youth who have succeeded in school and desire a higher education are a godsend -- smart, driven and resourceful. With a higher education, they have the potential to satisfy many of the essential job needs in North Carolina.

It is crucial for our future that we keep in place the current policy of admitting all qualified N.C. students who want an education to our public colleges and universities. If you agree, please contact Attorney General Cooper and your state representative and tell them how important this policy is to you. --Laura Wenzel, Chapel Hill

Federal government ignores its own laws

When U.S. citizens make contracts for goods, services or other reasons, each party to the contract is expected to abide by it. However, there is one contract that seriously affects every citizen, but few pay attention to it. It is the U.S. Constitution, a contract between our citizens and the federal government.

The original 13 states established our federal government with very limited powers, primarily to repel invasions. Individual states were responsible for most government actions. If a state became too oppressive, people could simply move to another state.

The Constitution authorizes only Congress to make federal laws. Hence, a Supreme Court decision or a presidential Executive Order cannot become a law. Yet these decisions and orders have been used as laws.

In the more than 200 years that our Constitution has been in effect, only 27 amendments have been ratified. Today, those who want to make a change, simply circumvent the Constitution. There is no constitutional power to have federal involvement in education, housing, health, foreign aid and many other activities. Therefore, about 80 percent of what the federal government does is unconstitutional. See www.thenewamerican.com for details.

We are living in a partial police state because the feds do not obey our Constitution. Unless enough of our citizens demand that the feds abide by the Constitution, we soon will be living in a total police state. --Alex Randis, Northridge, Calif.

Swalins provided musical inspiration

I was delighted to read Dave Hart's article on the celebration of Maxine Swalin's 105th birthday ("A symphony of successes," April 20).

Around 1944 as a fourth-grader attending my first concert, I was introduced to the majesty of classical music when the North Carolina Symphony came to my home town, New Bern. The director was Benjamin Swalin with Maxine Swalin on the celeste. They were an enchanting couple. The major work was "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" with the "Lone Ranger Theme" the one that had me bouncing in my seat and bonding me with the sound of the symphony.

As a student at UNC-CH in 1953-54, I had a chance to meet Mr. Swalin at the Carolina Inn, and all he wanted to talk about was baseball. I left after a year to resume my broadcasting career; however, I did work at WCHL Radio with Ty Boyd while in school.

Upon joining WIS-TV in Columbia, S.C., in 1963, I began a long association with the area symphony and have served as emcee-narrator for the South Carolina Philharmonic youth concerts every year since 1965 and never fail to mention to the young audience how Maxine, her husband Benjamin and the magic of the North Carolina Symphony forever changed my life when I was at a concert like the one they're attending and we do four a year. It is my way of thanking the Swalins for enriching the major part of my 73 years with my love of music.

Happy birthday, Maxine Swalin, and may your day and days be filled with the same joy you brought thousands. --Joe Pinner, Blythewood, S.C.

Poor not problem in hospital expenses

A letter published April 13 ("High medical fees not hospital's fault") takes issue with my letter of April 2 ("Reader questions UNC Hospitals' fees") by stating that public hospitals always cost more than private hospitals because they are obligated to accept the poor.

That letter states: "The real reason why UNC Hospitals' rates are so high is due to the fact that UNC Hospitals must provide care to anyone who enters its doors." This reasoning smacks of the bias that UNC Hospitals would like to use to justify its charges, even though it implies that if cost matters, you should go to a private, not public, hospital, which presumably doesn't have this problem because it turns away those unable to pay.

Of course, serving the uninsured poor at UNC Hospitals adds costs which must be recovered some other way -- by tax support or by fees charged everyone. And UNC Hospitals has found out the hard way that it cannot always get away with using aggressive collection agencies or by placing liens on the homes of people made destitute by catastrophic medical bills.

However, these facts remain: Bonuses paid for the UNC Hospitals senior staff totaled $16,419,592.87 in the 30 months ending in December 2006; public protest resulted in the university not canceling, as they told the public they would, but merely concealing these bonuses by reclassifying them as part of the 2007 "salary" without reporting it to the public when calculating the new salaries for 2008).

UNC Hospitals' charges are exorbitant and, like the incomes of the CEO and senior staff, have increased beyond inflation rates.

The success of UNC Hospitals as a business? Phenomenal. Its success in its mission of caring for the needs of all people in North Carolina? Tragically deficient. --Junius A. Davis, Chapel Hill

Continuing Iraq war does no one good

The Iraq war has dropped out of the headlines. The economy has taken over. It is as though the war no longer matters.

Yet 50 soldiers were killed in April. And in each death, a young life is destroyed forever; years of life are obliterated. A father, a mother, perhaps a wife have lost him forever.

The president speaks of the sacrifice of the fallen men. But not one word asking for sacrifice from the rest of us. No taxes to help pay for this pointless, bankrupting war. For the rest of us, life goes on as usual.

And the war goes on. And every day more soldiers are killed. And only the parents and the wivbes are left to mourn.

It is time to stop it. We are doing no good in Iraq. We are doing only harm.

It is time to stop it. --Elias Schwartz, Chapel Hill

Town needs board to review police

The cartoon of the policeman chasing the antiwar protestor in the May 1 News was marvelous.

It captured the essence of the increasing repression of dissent, even in Chapel Hill. Our rights under the Constitution and its Bill of Right are under attack and must be protected. It is not enough simply to drop charges after an inappropriate arrest. Such arrests stifle dissent and erode constitutionally the protected rights of assembly and free speech.

Policies must be put in place to check such police actions. Thus the move to create a civilian review board in the recent petition by the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, the Woman's International League for Peace and Freedom and the NAACP is most timely and should be instituted by Town Council.

As described to the council, the board would be composed of representatives of town, community and university leaders with town staff available as resource. Complaints about police actions would be received and, after a timely investigation, a public report would be made.

Such a board would lead to better understanding between the community and the police. --Barry Freeman, Chapel Hill

Players helped at Carrboro Day

A belated "Bravo" to the Carrboro High School football team, several dozen of whom turned out to volunteer on Carrboro Day.

The purple-jerseyed Jaguars and their super coach Jason Tudryn arrived in time to help set up and stayed all afternoon moving tables, chairs, books, and band equipment. They played with little kids and ran the water balloon toss. And they danced.

Much applause goes also to all of the "usual suspects" who keep Carrboro Day special every year. Naming names can be a big mistake, but I can't resist singling out volunteer coordinator Meg McGurk and our dedicated Rec and Parks administrator, Kim Andrews. Check out Jackie Helvey's new photos on Carrboro.com. --Catherine DeVine, Carrboro