1/25 Letters: The voters picked Harris – seat him

Voters disenfranchised

Mark Harris clearly won the election, as did others already certified from the same ballots cast. Fraud by Harris has not been proven. He is innocent till proven guilty! Voting irregularities occur every election. Voters are now disenfranchised. Democrats have no problem with disenfranchising the whole 9th Congressional District. Congress has no right to decide who NC voters chose — the votes tell that, and a new election is an ex post facto constitutional law violation.

This unaffiliated voter is sick nigh unto death of election stealing. Mark Harris is being denied his election win, and we the people are being denied our legally elected congressman. All NC voters, not just 9th District voters, are now disenfranchised, because a North Carolina member of Congress votes on issues that affect every NC citizen. The Democratic Party is the usurper of all our voting rights!

Barbara Richie Pond

Raeford

Weak research

I attended the Healthy Neighborhood committee meeting that discussed a draft ordinance for short-term rentals in Raleigh. They have termed this Homestays, and the draft addresses when people rent out rooms in an owner-occupied home. Whole house rentals are different and might be addressed later.

It was a bit distressing. The draft is copied from Asheville, an admittedly dissimilar city, instead of doing quality research. Questions about draft specifics were answered with an “I don’t know” or “We took it from Asheville.” The discussion lacked any data, research or logic. There was no proof given that a problem even exists. One committee person asked, “Why punish hundreds that are doing it well because of a few exceptions?”

Later when they discussed whole house short-term rentals, it was asked, “how many houses are doing this?” The answer was, “We do not know.” But they still state that it negatively impacts affordable housing.

Rip it up and do some homework.

Mark Sweeting

Raleigh

Protecting campus

As a UNC-CH alum and parent, I am disgusted with the behavior of Chairman Harry Smith and the UNC Board of Governors. UNC-CH Chancellor Carol Folt showed leadership and protected the safety of students and the campus community by removing the remnants of Silent Sam. On his first day of class, my son got tear gas in his throat. He was still coughing on the phone when we talked later. How dare you, Mr Smith, lecture anyone about class and dignity. Your cheap jabs and potshots are the opposite of class and dignity. Thank you, Chancellor Folt, for your leadership in making Carolina a better place. The BOG owes you an apology.

John Schelp

Durham

Fee or no fee

A letter writer (“Scooter Profits,” Jan. 22) takes exception to an earlier writer’s (“Rising Profits,” Jan. 17) contention that the $300 per scooter fee imposed by Raleigh could result in increased profits for the scooter companies. The latter writer’s arguments against the possibility of increased profits totally overlooked the basic economic principle of marginal costs and marginal revenue.

All the costs the the writer enumerates to argue his point are costs that are already incurred, whether there is a fee or no fee. Apparently the scooter companies concluded that the fee they impose on their customers will cover the city fee and perhaps add a few dollars to profits.

I, too, am all for entrepreneurship, but we all should be willing to pay a reasonable share of the cost living in a safe, prosperous, and civil society.

Leigh H. Hammond

Cary

Audience discretion

The headline entitled “Owner defends Louis C.K. show at Raleigh Improv“ seems to miss the point (Jan. 22). The owner’s representative simply states “We don’t censor artists. We trust that our audiences can decide for themselves”.

This hardly qualifies as a defense but rather a suggestion: if you are offended by Louis C.K. and his admitted transgressions, don’t buy a ticket.

Jim Wilson

Pittsboro

Republican control

Trump took information immigrants provided under the promise of privacy protection of DACA and used the data to threaten to rescind DACA and immediately deport all of them. The courts blocked this action. Now, Trump offered temporary amnesty, with no guarantee that he won’t go back on his word so he can get almost $6 billion dollars to build a wall he said Mexico would pay for.

How is the shutdown the Democrats’ fault? They weren’t in control when it began, and Trump said that he was happy to take blame for it. Trump and the Republican Congress should have passed border security funding when they had control. Instead, they robbed Americans with tax cuts for Trump, Republicans in Congress and super wealthy cronies. Nothing to the poor and middle class people that voted him into office — or the rest of of us in America!

Gregory Davenport

Cary