Re: Reporting

I just wanted to commend the INDY for its political reporting of late, especially in the Feb. 13 issue. In particular, Lisa Sorg’s investigative reporting on sea-level rise and John Droz’s efforts to block wind farms was impressive [“Science takes a beating“]. I don’t know if the emphasis on hard-hitting political reporting has been increased since the change in ownership, or if I’m just becoming more aware of my local politics, but I don’t remember seeing such well-researched and adversarial journalism in the INDY before. I hope it continues so that maybe y’all can lead the way for more truth in N.C. reporting. N&O, are you listening?

Unfortunately I also have to criticize Bob Geary’s article. While I normally love his columns, “Under McCrory’s thumb” contained an inexcusable ethnic slur when he accused the Republicans of “gypping the working poor out of Medicaid.” I thought most people knew by now that the term “gyp” denigrates gypsies (aka Roma/Romani) … or if not most people, then at least educated persons like Mr. Geary and the INDY editors. Maybe people will accuse me of hypersensitivity, but what would the reaction have been if Geary had instead written that Republicans were “jewing the working poor out of Medicaid”? Is there any difference in the level of offensiveness between the two slurs? If so, I’m not aware of it.

Blake Rosser
Carrboro

Re: Fracking

Senate Bill 76 caters to the interests of oil and gas companies, not the people of North Carolina [“Absolute power,” Feb. 13]. If the bill is passed, permits for fracking would begin to be issued in March 2015, regardless of what lawmakers think after reviewing the rules put together by the Mining and Energy Commission. The bill would also legalize injection of waste from the dirty process, putting the drinking water of 2.4 million North Carolinians at risk. It is time for our legislators to show us that their constituents are more important than the padded pockets of the oil and gas industry.

I urge everyone to contact their N.C. Senator to encourage them to take a stand and protect the people and waters of this great state. This bill is a train on a very fast track to disaster; something must be done to stop it.

Molly McKinley
Raleigh

Re: McCrory

“Bash the Old Folks” (a poem):

Bash the old folks
Lash the poor
Smash the jobless
They’ll work no more
But don’t trash me
I’m Pat McCrory
Your smiling N.C. Governor.

Neil Smith
Pittsboro