Winston-Salem Journal LTE FR 06/29/12

Unbelievable

I couldn't believe my eyes. Right there in the June 23 Journal, "Cheney's lesbian daughter weds." From Washington came the story, beginning: Mary Cheney, the openly gay daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, has married her longtime partner, Heather Poe.

The Cheney family responded: "Mary and Heather and their children are very important and much loved members of our family and we wish them every happiness."

I'm still trying to wrap my head around that.

The most interesting part to me, though, was that Mary has given birth to two children that she and her wife are raising.

Wow, it feels good to write that. "Her wife."

But surely there's a mistake in there somewhere. Gay people can't reproduce. That's what all the conservative ministers say.

---

CARL McDOWELL

Winston-Salem

Global economy changes

Harold Meyerson's lament over the decline of unionism ("America without a union movement," June 15) is anachronistic. The global economy experienced industrial revolutions in the 19th and 20th centuries as mechanization replaced manual labor on the farm and in manufacturing firms. Here in the 21st century, we are experiencing a third industrial revolution, brought on by the transformative power of the computer chip and the Internet. The common thread through all these upheavals is the introduction of labor-saving innovations raising productivity and living standards. The shrinking demand for unskilled and semi-skilled labor reduced the scope for union representation.

Meyerson glances over the importance of globalization in the trend to deunionization. When China disavowed centuries of isolationism and adopted an export-oriented strategy, it freed vast numbers of Chinese workers to participate in international trade and raise their living standards. In a stroke the global labor force doubled, creating a global glut of low-skilled workers. U.S. manufacturers confronted a choice: Either relocate operations to China or restructure to preserve their competitiveness. The latter option ushered in a new wave of labor-saving technologies — robotics and other forms of automation.

Unions still have a role to play in the workplace balance of power where work effort is standardized and productivity is undifferentiated. Thus today there are more unionized public-sector workers than unionized private-sector workers. Ideally we would have no need for union representation, if everyone emerging from our educational system had marketable skills, and his/her productivity was measurable and rewarded accordingly.

---

PETER MOONEY

Advance

Sum It Up

The Sum It Up question from Sunday was: Are you satisfied with the state budget approved by the legislature?

* * * * *

I suppose so, could be worse, no doubt.

---

WILLIAM SAMS

* * * * *

Yes, as far as it goes. You must remember: Unlike the federal government, North Carolina cannot print its own money.

For all practical purposes, the state of North Carolina is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Yes, the reduction in the budget will hurt some programs. Yes, the spending must be cut.

The real problem is it cannot be cut enough.

---

CLIFFORD McCRARY

* * * * *

FY2012-13 is a continuation budget, in which lawmakers make changes to the second year of the biennial state budget that was passed in the spring of 2011. The Republicans (and a few Democrats) continue their Hooverish austerity lunacy and ideological campaign while lining their own pockets, what's not to like?

They gut the public-school system more (we're now 49th in per-student spending) so they can have an excuse to give vouchers for private Christian schools. They cut funds for indigent (the group they most hate) health care and legal services, completely cut funds for "liberal mouthpiece" UNC-TV and worst of all refuse to give the victims of the state's forced sterilization program their due and promised compensation.

---

KAM BENFIELD