Liberal ‘contempt’ for Trump was fanned by Trump himself

‘Contempt’

I am a liberal who was not surprised by Trump winning the presidency – he reflected, as I imagined he did, enough of the political truth about America in 2016 to get elected.

“Contempt of left may likely get Trump re-elected” (July 7) puts the cart before the horse, stating liberals’ over-the-top “unbridled contempt” for Trump is the problem.

Hey. Trump diligently earned liberals’ contempt. He has sought it from day one of his campaign until today. Trump has worked purposefully and relentlessly to breed that contempt. He has a most definite gift for the task, a flair that is his great political talent – the Great Divider.

And he certainly has my contempt, which I will not disguise or back down from. So I say, “Congratulations, Trump. Well done. Mission accomplished.”

What of the prospect of eight years of Trump? So be it. And as far as his supporters go, I say more power to them. In the “contempt” game, I say we are even. So let the chips fall where they may. After all, it’s a free country, more or less.

November ‘march’

As a retired educator, I supported the teachers’ march and am saddened that their concerns fell on so many deaf ears in the General Assembly. Marches are one way citizens can peacefully show their concern and bring an issue into clearer focus.

In the past, I have participated in women’s marches, HK on J Marches/Rallies, March for Our Lives, Tuesdays without Tillis gatherings and the Climate March. All of these were important avenues to help raise the level of awareness regarding issues about which many North Carolinians have strong feelings.

Come November, these same individuals must gather all their friends and anyone else along the way, and march straight to the voting booths. November’s march may be the most important one of all.

Republican?

Regarding “GOP seeks to bolster sway on elections, spending” (June 27): I realize that the U.S. Constitution “shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government” but that does not mean government by the Republican Party. The leaders of the N.C. House and Senate seem a bit confused by those words.

Two of the proposed amendments would significantly strengthen the power of Republicans and the General Assembly.

One would create a “bipartisan” State Board of Ethics and Elections. That sounds good, but if one reads the entire proposal – which will not be on the ballot – one would discover that this amendment would also give the leaders of the General Assembly the power to make or at least approve all appointments to state government positions.

Another proposal would give the N.C. General Assembly the power to limit candidates the governor could choose to fill judicial vacancies to those it approves.

These amendments reinforced by extreme gerrymandering seem designed to permanently establish a Republican government, but not the kind envisioned by the founders.

Perhaps we should remind the leadership of the General Assembly that a republic is different than “Republican” by voting down these amendments in November.

No incentives needed

With Raleigh’s unemployment rate being so low, there is no need for incentives to bring more jobs. High-tech employers in the area are already having difficulty filling their positions .

Incentives in the form of reduced taxes are a way of transferring wealth from taxpayers to rich companies. Does multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos need a handout? Large influxes of people will raise property values. Some people then may not be able to afford a home. Some small businesses and people will no longer be able to afford the rising rents.

Taxes will increase to pay for the services these new companies are not paying for. Schools and roads will become crowded. Commutes will become longer.

It would help to name those giving the incentives so that they could be held accountable. One reason people may support incentives is the prestige of bettering other cities, but the prestige is short-lived whereas the impact on the quality of life lasts.

Incentives may be fine for areas with high unemployment, but not for areas such as Raleigh. Let’s not undersell ourselves. Raleigh is such a fine city that companies should be willing to come here without incentives.

This story was originally published July 9, 2018 at 11:05 AM.