In defense of the new interim chancellor at UNC-CH | Opinion
UNC Chancellor
The writer is a former state senator.
I’ve met the new interim chancellor of UNC Chapel Hill, and Lee Roberts is not the partisan some portray him to be. Yes, he is a conservative, which is a breath of fresh air for the liberal-dominated UNC-CH. I find it refreshing that conservatives are finally bringing some political balance to the university.
The old governance model for leading a university is changing. No longer does the top person need to be an educator, but he or she does have to appreciate and value education. The provost or chief academic officer adds the educators’ voice and experience to the leadership team. The chancellor wears many hats in today’s complex world. Above all, he or she must be a good listener and Roberts fits that bill. The leader must be firm, but fair and Roberts is.
Phil Kirk, Raleigh
Dems and Trump
Democrats have a long history of complaining about this or that being “threats to our Democracy.” They pretend to cherish ideals set forth in our Constitution, such as innocent until proven guilty. Yet, they make every effort to keep Donald Trump — never convicted of a single crime — off ballots across the country. That is unconstitutional and dangerous. While playing this dangerous game Democrats need to remember one thing: One day soon they’ll be out of power and Republicans will crush them with this very tactic.
Lee Hortman, Raleigh
Child tax credit
When Congress reconvenes this week, there will be eight working days before the first of two deadlines to fund the government in 2024. There will be much debate about what should be funded. I vote for an expanded child tax credit. The tax code should not punish children because their caregivers have lower wage jobs, are disabled or cannot afford the child care needed to secure a job. I strongly encourage N.C. representatives and senators to back expanding the CTC to ensure this proven aid to lifting children out of poverty is available to those who need it most: families living in rural areas, parents/caregivers with disabilities, military caregivers, grandparents raising grandchildren.
Patti Maxwell, Cary
Dale Folwell
State Treasurer Dale Folwell’s recent decision to divest from Ben & Jerry’s is interesting given his previous stances on activist investment and his “enthusiastic” support for N.C. House Bill 750. In case he does not remember that bill, part of it reads that the state treasurer “(s)hall, in the evaluation of an investment, or evaluation or exercise of any right appurtenant to an investment, consider only pecuniary factors...” Apparently, the treasurer’s stance against activist investments does not apply to activist dis-investment.
Jason Beverly, Chapel Hill
Death row
I feel deep gratitude to Gov. Roy Cooper for commuting the sentences of six people on death row in North Carolina and pardoning four other prisoners. Now I ask him to go further and reduce the sentences of the 136 people on death row in N.C. to prison terms.
The prevalence of people of color on death row (60% as opposed to being only 30% of the state’s population) is clear evidence of racial bias. It is no coincidence that people of color are twice as likely to be sentenced to death when the victim is white. Of the 12 innocent people in North Carolina who were exonerated from death row since the 1970s, 11 were people of color.
There is no proof the death sentence reduces crime. It is banned in other states, other countries. Every time someone is convicted unjustly in North Carolina, we experience moral injury. As an N.C. citizen, I thank Cooper for the courage of what he has done and urge him to do even more.
Janice Parker, Chapel Hill
The NCAA
The NCAA’s implementation of the transfer portal and NIL policies have destroyed the fabric of college sports. No longer is this national sports institution one that honors the traditions and legacies of the past. It has become another commercial venture that serves the elite and diminishes the values and principles that were the cornerstone of collegiate athletics. It seems that many revered universities have sold their souls for the mighty dollar.
John Aluise, Chapel Hill
