July
26, 2013
Dear
Pat,
I
have really enjoyed writing you every day, even though I have yet to hear back
from you. I also have been following the news very closely and haven't heard
you really address any of my concerns publicly, either. I want to tell you a
bit about my personal struggles and choices I have to make today, but then I
want to talk to you as a friend and a fellow state employee.
First
of all, I had to make a visit this morning to my doctor to address some
"female issues". I drove my car, since I don't have a motorcycle, but
since I didn't need an abortion, I hope this was all right. I wish you had been
there with me, though. My doctor told me I was fine, really, and to try to cut
back on my coffee intake. Do you think she's right? As I mentioned in an
earlier letter, she is a woman and is African-American, so I understand if you
think I can't trust her. I can come to your office for a second opinion. I did
make an appointment for my annual exam in late August, but if you can fit me in
earlier at your office, that would be fine.
I
also went out to my garden this morning to check on our tomatoes. There are a
couple that seem like they are close to ripe. Should I leave them on the vine
to see if they ripen more by tomorrow, or bring them in and put them on the
window sill? Sometimes if they are perfectly ripe the squirrels get them first.
What do you think I should do?
Now
on to your big day today. I hope you have time to read this email before you
sign anything. As I have always been told, you should read agreements very
carefully before you sign your name to them. You don't know when it may come
back to haunt you! I know the legislature was up late last night working on
lots of things for you to sign. I know about some of them, but there is one
that I want you to pay close attention to since it could save both your job and
mine! I'm talking about the legislature's wish to remove the extra pay for
teachers who have master's degrees. I know that if there isn't that promise of
extra pay that many teachers will just stick with the bachelor's degree. That
will lead to my job becoming unnecessary, and probably it will make people
think you shouldn't keep your job either! I know you say you are interested in
saving people's jobs - and I know that old saying "charity begins at
home" - so maybe you can do some things to save your job as well as mine!
Another
law that I hope you read very carefully before you sign it has a very
misleading title. You know there is another old saying "you can't judge a
book by its cover"? Well, this is called the "motorcycle safety
bill". I know I have written you about this before, and maybe you think
that with all the folks protesting the legislature would have made the bill
just about motorcycle safety. But there are still parts of that bill that have
to do with women's health! Read it carefully - I know that you made a campaign
promise about abortion regulations, and I'm afraid if you sign this bill you
might be thought to be going back on your promises!
One
thing you have done for us since you took office is make people all over the
country take notice of North Carolina
If
you sign all these bills without reading them, I don't know what to say! Don't
say I didn't warn you! If you have trouble reading and comprehending what you
have read, please don't hesitate to call on me. Helping people with problems
like that is kind of a specialty of mine.
Thank
you for your time,
Nancy
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