On the Green Party, NC Democrats and Republicans are both hypocrites

Green Party

How hypocritical the Democratic Party is. It accuses the Republican Party of trying to deny people the ability to vote while they are suing to remove the North Carolina Green Party from the ballot.

Republicans are ecstatic saying the party must be on the ballot. They, too, are being hypocritical because they really want the Green Party on the ballot to draw votes from Democratic candidates.

For good or bad, the Green Party should be on the ballot.

Augie Beasley, Charlotte

David Tepper

So what have we learned about Charlotte’s newest billionaire, Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper? Well, whether it’s the canceled practice facility or the Eastland Mall redevelopment, he’s twice reneged on his published plans. This leaves our region hundreds of million dollars short for projects which actually should be nearing completion now. I certainly hope that the Panthers can convert on the 10-yard line better than their owner.

Jeff A. Gregory, Mars Hill

More toll lanes?

I was amazed to read that Cintra is proposing to add more toll lanes to I-77, under the same controversial conditions as their existing contract. This proposal needs to be rejected. To avert any further attempts, we should demand a full investigation of the existing contract, which clearly wasn’t in the interests of N.C. taxpayers or commuters.

Gautam Bose, Charlotte

SC commuters

I have to chuckle at S.C. residents who complain about proposed I-77 toll lanes. Why don’t they work in South Carolina instead of clogging our roads? Besides, using the toll lane would be optional. Just don’t use it!

Linda J. Brooks, Charlotte

Stop the bickering

Regarding “Congressmen demand Stein protect crisis pregnancy center,” (Aug. 2):

I am pro-choice, but I think it’s a sorry state of affairs that pro-choice groups and crisis pregnancy groups can’t meet in the middle over women’s health without bickering over who says what. Vandalism and threats on any women’s health clinic should be investigated and prosecuted as hate crimes under Federal law. “Jane’s Revenge” sounds like a terrorist outfit. We don’t need any more of those.

Maggie Nelson, Monroe

Tillis and Budd

First, I’d like to say that vandalism is never acceptable. So recent vandalism at a N.C. crisis pregnancy center that a group called “Jane’s Revenge” took credit for deserves to be investigated.

But the fact that Sen. Thom Tillis and U.S. Rep. Ted Budd are so outraged they had to write a letter to the N.C. attorney general is all political theater. Planned Parenthood and abortion clinics deal with protesters on the streets who harass women and their partners every single day. Many of these clinics have been vandalized as well. Yet, I’ve not heard a peep from Tillis or Budd.

And let’s not forget what crisis pregnancy centers really are. They may help some women, but they lie to women while pushing their religious agenda. CPCs are also unregulated and yet collect millions in taxpayer funds from all of us.

So, please, let’s skip the political theatrics.

Laura Reich, Matthews

Biden taking credit

Monthly, over the last year and half, we keep hearing the Biden administration take credit for employment increases. However, what should be communicated is that we are back to where we were at the end of 2019 before the pandemic. Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, seasonable adjusted December 2019 employment was 158.8 million compared to 158.1 million at the end of June 2022. The recession is currently causing companies to review their employment levels and there will be a trend downward for a period of time. The public never gets all the details from any administration, just what they need for votes.

Thomas Uhl, Mooresville

NC and Medicaid

As a retired benefits consultant and former benefits manager for a Fortune 500 company, I was hopeful that the N.C. General Assembly would at long last pass an expansion of Medicaid to fully comply with the Affordable Care Act. Failing to do this has harmed N.C. residents. Our economy has been impacted and some rural hospitals have either closed or are in financial trouble, according to the Commonwealth Fund, a nonpartisan healthcare advisor.

As former GOP presidential candidate and Ohio governor John Kasich noted when Ohio expanded Medicaid years ago, it was a no-brainer with the federal funding the state has realized for years now. Please move forward on Medicaid expansion.

Keith Wilson, Charlotte

Time to get serious

Can we finally get serious about climate change? The news brings another disaster every day: a flood in Kentucky, starvation caused by drought in Africa, rivers in the West that dry up and reduce the generation of electricity.

The Inflation Reduction Act before Congress includes money to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mainly in the form of tax credits that are only available to those of means. I hope the next bill introduces a revenue-neutral, carbon fee and dividend program that helps all citizens, but I’ll take what I can get.

Richard Greene, Charlotte