"Speak Out" is an expression of opinion from the Editorial Board of WBTV, and is presented by General Manager, Nick Simonette.
The year 2010 is half way over.
And it's time for a report card for some of our local leaders.
First, is CMS Superintendent Peter Gorman.
We are happy to report test scores are up.
But the achievement gap is still too wide.And the dropout rate concerns us.
Gorman has promised to address those issues.
So right now, we give him a "B."
We think Gorman needs improvement when it comes to working with the community.
Recent decisions the superintendent has made have bothered and divided some parents and voters.
We believe Gorman needs to fix that.
Next up is Charlotte Police Chief Rodney Monroe.
Overall crime is down…which is a good thing
But we are concerned about the city's murder rate.
To date it has increased by nearly 80 percent.
We hope Monroe is working on a plan to change that.
So for now, we also give him a "B."
At the same time, we must give him an "Incomplete."
He still hasn't received that bachelor's degree he said he would get.
Next in line: Governor Beverly Perdue.
She promised more jobs, more visits to the Queen city, and to get I-485 complete.
More jobs have come, she has visited the Queen city more often, and work on 485 will start this year….we hope.
Right now, Perdue also gets a "B."
This is just our assessment.
We hope you are keeping tabs on your local leaders and continue to speak out when you see them failing at their duties, and most importantly, not keeping their word.
Tell us what YOU think. SpeakOut@wbtv.com.
