Shame on Ted Budd for betraying North Carolina’s military members

Sen. Ted Budd: You betray all 100,000 active-duty military members and 11,000 National Guard members of North Carolina’s military you represent, while the wildly incompetent Pete Hegseth has fired 80 generals and admirals. That’s 10% of top military officers while the US is at your war of choice. You betray members of the largest military footprint in the United States – your constituents – while the NC legislature makes the mail-in voting process as challenging as getting a decent meal on board the USS Abraham Lincoln.

Shame on you for putting North Carolina’s service members in harm’s way. Shame. On. You.

Linda C. Belans, Durham

Wake County Schools budget for the year just ended was $3.3 Billion dollars. That’s just Wake County, not the entire state.

Teachers constantly complain of being underpaid, school buses break down all the time, students test scores are abysmal, and now the air conditioning is broken. The system is constantly asking for more, more, more money. It’s never enough. We are told in order to provide an excellent learning experience, they need more money. No one doubts the dedication of the individual teachers. The problem is the unions and the administration. There is nothing excellent about Wake County Schools right now.

Three billion dollars. Where in the world is our money going?

Lee Hortman, Raleigh

The proposed constitutional amendment to cap the state income tax rate is a terrible idea. It would cement in place our regressive income tax structure that already favors the wealthy. As it is, the state relies too much on sales taxes, which is over 8% in some places, requiring rich and poor alike to pay the same tax on purchases — the very definition of “regressive.”

A capped income tax rate would limit the state’s ability to respond to fiscal shortfalls, leaving spending cuts or sales tax increases the only options. Good government is expensive and also requires flexibility. The cap-the-tax amendment is nothing more than political grandstanding by the GOP, and it should be roundly defeated.

Peter Aitken, Chapel Hill

I am a member of the Baby Boomer generation (1946-1964), a.k.a. the Luckiest Generation, because of all our advantages. We avoided the Great Depression and World War II, and we benefited from expanded educational opportunities and a booming economy. Advances in medicine and public health increased our lifespans and improved our quality of life. Our good incomes allowed us to buy homes, whose rising value increased our wealth. We did good! But what about our legacy?

It is hard to escape the accusation that our legacy is the most divisive, destructive, deceptive, disruptive and dangerous administration in American history. We might better be called The Take All You Can, Leave As Little As Possible Generation.

We can act to change our shameful legacy. We can support Democratic candidates in the midterm elections to gain control of Congress and block the President’s agenda. Our actions may inspire other generations to join us. Do not underestimate your influence as a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent — use it. This may be our last chance to repair our legacy and, more importantly, save our country.

Bonnie Tyler, Raleigh

The football situation at UNC is not worth it. The first state university, my university, considered a “public Ivy” should not have its reputation ruined by an ex-professional football coach and this other guy now on administrative leave. Is there anyone looking after our great university and its reputation — not as a football power but as a great university?

Frankly, I am very saddened and embarrassed by all of this. My university needs to evaluate its priorities. Carolina football is not so important that it should be able to harm our reputation as a great school. But it has done exactly that.

Gerald T Kilpatrick, Brevard

In Feb. 2026, the EPA repealed protections against toxic pollution emitted by power plants that had been put in place in 2024. This move effectively regresses to older, weaker limits and reopens loopholes that allow some of the dirtiest coal plants to keep polluting.

Power plant emissions contain mercury, arsenic and lead, as well as particulate matter, which can get deep into our lungs and enter our bloodstream. These pollutants can harm brain development, lead to asthma attacks, cause cancer and even premature death.

Children are more vulnerable to the impacts of toxic air pollution because their lungs and brains are still developing, they take more breaths than adults and outdoor activities can increase their exposure.

In 2015, Kofi Annon said “the earth is not ours. It is a treasure we hold in trust for our children and grand-children. We must be worthy of that trust.”

Katie Dore, Durham

The downsides of Atrium’s proposed takeover of WakeMed are clear: loss of local control, likely price increases, and threats to staffing ratios and community benefits. But many have been prepared to accept the deal out of a belief that Atrium, as part of a huge national hospital system, could bring significant new investment into Wake County. That no longer seems to be the case.

This week, hospital executives revealed that the deal’s much-touted $2 billion investment would come first from WakeMed’s own revenue streams, then from loans taken out by WakeMed, and then, only if those sources aren’t enough, from Atrium. Let’s be clear: this is not a true investment. Atrium might be able to help WakeMed take out more loans, but those loans would stay on WakeMed’s books, driving up healthcare prices for years to come.

WakeMed recently published plans for almost $1 billion in new investment, which it could pay for without a single Atrium dime.

If county commissioners approve this deal, they would be signing away their power to one of the largest hospital corporations in America in exchange for what is essentially some loan guarantees.

Nathan Foster, North Carolina Justice Center, Raleigh

This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline “Shame on Ted Budd for betraying North Carolina’s military members | Opinion.”