WS Chronicle

Cooper presented right priorities in State of State

To the Editor:

Gov. Cooper set the right priorities in his State of the State address tonight by outlining a North Carolina that can work for all of us.

His vision to put students first by fully funding public education and raising educator pay will put North Carolina on the right path to be a national leader in public education once again.

His recognition of the commitment of three public school teachers during his address, all NCAE members, is representative of the dedication all of our educators show each and every day to make our students successful.

Mark Jewell, President

N.C. Association of Educators

Note: During his address Gov. Cooper recognized:

Sabrina Peacock, a third-grade teacher from Oak Hill Elementary in High Point.  She is a N.C. Teaching Fellow and has been in the classroom for 25 years. Gov. Cooper is proposing a version of the Teaching Fellows program as part of his budget. Lawmakers are also proposing their own version.

Jasmine Lauer is an English teacher at Sanderson High School in Raleigh.  Lauer spends hundreds of dollars each year out of her own pocket on classroom materials for her students. Gov. Cooper is proposing a $150 supply stipend to teachers as part of his budget.

Wendell Tabb is a drama director and teacher at Hillside High School in Durham and has been an educator for 30 years. Gov. Cooper’s budget includes compensation increases for all educators, even the most experienced, who have been shortchanged in recent years.

Leaders applaud appointment of first African-American reserve bank chief

To the Editor:

The selection of Raphael Bostic to lead the Atlanta Reserve is a historic step on the long road to equality and justice for people of color in the United States.

I am pleased that Federal Reserve officials have taken this important step to fulfill Congress’s call to diversify their leadership, both in terms of race and occupational background. Not only is he the first African-American regional bank president, but he is also a champion for families struggling in today’s economy, and does not come from the corporate background that is already overrepresented at the Fed.

I greatly look forward to working with President Bostic to ensure that progress towards the full employment vision, laid out by Dr. King and Coretta Scott King, is fulfilled for all of America’s people.

U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-MI)

Ranking Member on the Judiciary Committee

Mr. Bostic is an outstanding choice. His wealth of experience and research on wealth disparities and barriers to economic opportunity will play a critical role in shaping the economic policy decisions that affect all American families.

Given the disparate economic experiences faced by key demo-graphic groups, it is crucial that a broader cross-section of groups have a seat at the decision-making table.

I congratulate Mr. Bostic on his appointment.

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)

Ranking Member of the House Committee on Financial Services

I could not be more thrilled about today’s announcement regarding Raphael Bostic being named the next Atlanta Regional Bank President. This marks an historic event for our Federal Reserve System.  In over 100 years of its existence, never has there once been an African American as a Regional President. That all ends today.

U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-GA) 

A senior member of the Financial Services Committee

Raphael Bostic is an excellent choice to head the Atlanta Fed. He has extensive experience researching how economic policy affects working families.

I am glad to see Raphael’s appointment, and I encourage the Fed to further strengthen its leadership by bringing on additional people with diverse backgrounds to serve in key roles.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

Note: Raphael Bostic will become the first African-American president of a Federal Reserve Bank in the Fed’s 100 year history.

Trumpcare is a bad deal  for North Carolina

To the Editor:

Today [March 13] the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its evaluation of the American Health Care Act, the legislative proposal drafted by Republicans in Congress to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

The evaluation shows that the GOP proposal would take us backward in history to a time when millions of families nationwide lack health insurance coverage.

In fact, the CBO found that 14 million people would lose coverage next year alone. By 2026, 24 million Americans would be newly uninsured.

Under this proposal, not only would North Carolinians be unable to access the health care they need, more families would be at-risk of financial catastrophe and medical debt without the protection of health insurance coverage.

The GOP proposal would radically restructure the Medicaid program, cutting $880 billion in nationwide spending over 10 years.

This would pass the buck to North Carolina’s state budget to handle the costs of caring for the state’s most vulnerable residents, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities. It would also repeal the ACA’s premium tax credits – which nearly half a million North Carolinians rely on each year to afford private plans – and replace them with an age-related voucher, in turn shifting health care costs onto low- and moderate-income North Carolinians.

Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, North Carolina’s uninsured rate has fallen from 16.8 percent to 11.2 percent. The American Health Care Act puts these gains at risk. Rather than improve upon the ACA, Congress’ proposal would result in 24 million more uninsured Americans. Seniors, people living in rural communities, and families trying to stay afloat on barely any income would find their very lives at stake. This is not the future we want for our state and nation.

NC Justice Center 

Raleigh