6/25 Letters: Senators’ silence on broken health care promises ‘worrying’

Regarding “Senate GOP releases bill to cut Medicaid, alter ‘Obamacare’” (June 22): I am worried about the impact of the health care bill being debated by the Senate. But I am more perplexed by how North Carolina’s Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis have communicated with their constituents about this issue.

They supported President Donald Trump during his campaign, when he made many promises about the replacement of Obamacare: “Everyone will have coverage”; “no one will lose their coverage, including those with pre-existing conditions”; “the cost for the Obamacare replacement will be less than under Obamacare.”

I assumed that since the senators did not dispute these statements that they agreed with them. If either had disagreed, I would have expected some statement about their specific reservations or caveats – but nothing.

The Senate is debating the ACHA, which violates nearly all of Trump’s stated promises, according to the analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. Trump seems not to remember, or care, but I would expect some statements from N.C. senators, either that they are perplexed by this contradiction or they do not believe the CBO’s analysis and have a better analysis.

But there was nothing.

How can constituents know where they stand and why on this critical issue?

Allow impact fees

Regarding “Impact fees on housing development may be done in Orange” (June 15): It’s not like Republicans to be finding a new way for more property tax increases, but that’s the direction their idea to end Orange County impact fees must certainly take it.

GOP lawmakers have again lost basic business sense, once the hallmark of their party. Every CEO knows about growing a company: Targeted, orderly and fiscally sound growth keeps costs low and the business strong. Likewise, cities achieve cost-efficient growth through businesslike and fair impact fees.

Any businessperson who’s ever served on a golf, tennis or swim club board understands that, like club initiation fees, impact fees provide fairness to existing residents who have paid for years for the development and maintenance of facilities, avoid overcrowding and are a reasonable way to steady annual costs – benefiting both old and new residents.

Local government impact fees should be allowed so long as they are confined to facility costs, expected to occur from new development. N.C. State Treasurer Dale Folwell and other fiscal conservatives must inform legislators of the fiscal harm from speculating freeloaders and free-rider leeches who reduce the value of property and increase taxes for North Carolinians.

This story was originally published June 24, 2017 at 6:00 PM with the headline "6/25 Letters: Senators’ silence on broken health care promises ‘worrying’."