1/19 Letters: We really do have a term limit problem.

Hurray for Holding

I never thought I would say this. In any future race in which he is a candidate, I will vote for George Holding. I haven’t in the past, thought he was too beholden to big business. But I am an independent for a reason. I’m not tied to a party because I side with one party or another on any given issue. In his Jan. 16 letter to the editor (“Term limits would discourage shutdowns”), Representative Holding nailed it on the what I consider to be the most important issue. Politicians are not interested in getting anything done, but staying in office, perpetuating endless campaigning, no matter how far off the next election may be. Only term limits will halt this pernicious problem. So I say: hear, hear, Rep. Holding. You have my vote. Unless, of course, you try to stay in the House of Representatives longer than six years.

David Larson

Raleigh

Maximum term

It was very encouraging to see Rep. George Holding’s intention to submit a bill to enact term limits for members of the House and Senate. I would suggest a slight variation in Holding’s proposed 12-year maximum term.

The root of the problem of legislators putting their needs ahead of America’s needs is that they must to be re-elected to continue their service. This makes them subject to the pressure of their party and big money influence. The party line voting we see today shows this situation very clearly! A 12-year maximum combined term would be a definite improvement over today’s system, but totally eliminating the re-election potential would be much more effective. The length of a single term could be lengthened to eight to ten years to allow for experience in the job to develop.

Ken Stephenson

Raleigh

Shutdown hubris

Trump said, “I feel for the 800,000 workers not getting paid.” How? He has never not had money, yet he still continues the shutdown. Trump’s economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, said, “They are better off because they don’t have to use vacation days to have a vacation.” The hubris of Trump and his minions knows no bounds.

David Pesapane

Durham

Local transparency

The Jan. 15 letter from a Durham resident referring to a closed meeting about the light rail (“What’s really going on with the light rail?”) is a reflection of the present state of our basic political and community systems. Citizens are being effectively shut out of the public comment process and decision making input. If one reviews past meeting minutes for some locations it will be evident there is a preponderance of “Calling For Closed Meetings Per NC Statutes.” Citizens are being asked to pay taxes, yet their views and ideas are not being considered.

The input of citizens into any governmental decision ensures diverse outcomes that are supported by a majority of the population. A lot of these closed meeting sessions are not further explained to the taxpayers and only a final result is revealed once it is too late for input. This precludes more global results supported by citizens. This paternalistic “Father Knows Best” approach to government is not conducive to sustainable long-term progress. We need long-term building blocks as our societal decision base as opposed to self-serving special interest criteria.

George Garcia

Rolesville

Lacking service

The time for my commute via bus to work at NC State University from the midtown Raleigh area has doubled, from 40 minutes and two buses to 80 minutes and three buses. I may be able to get there in 70 minutes, but my walk time would be 20 minutes instead of five.

I was excited about the possibilities of the new transit plan, but this is simply poor planning and clearly not designed to enhance public transit. And, judging from the recent complaints of drivers, their needs were also not taken into consideration. NC State is one of the largest employers in the city, and it also subsidizes the transit system. How is it that there are no direct or convenient routes from North Raleigh and other parts of town?

I suspect there is data suggesting that few NC State employees indicated they would opt for public transportation. But this is largely because there were no convenient options people could trust, and the new plan has failed to change this. So, as of now, instead of previously taking the bus to work 2-3 times a week, I will no longer use the bus at all. This both saddens and angers me.

Kwesi Brookins

Raleigh

This story was originally published January 19, 2019 at 1:34 PM.