Now that Sanders is in the lead, he must stop deflecting and start providing specifics

More specificity from Sanders, please

Bernie Sanders’ vision includes adopting Medicare for All, free college tuition, and the Green New Deal. But what happens to the thousands of people working in the sectors to be changed, such as health care or energy? How does he propose to help them in the transition? How much will his changes cost and how will they be paid for?

These are large, important questions that voters are entitled to hear about. Yet when questioned about them, I’ve never heard Sanders respond directly. Rather, he has deflected and restated well-known statistics that support his view of the need for change.

Now that he leads the delegate count, Sanders must go beyond selling his vision and let the public know his plans. To not do so leaves his vision in the realm of magical thinking.

Loretta Wertheimer, Davidson

Finally, a disruptor from the left.

The N.C. Democratic Party leadership should be worried about a Bernie Sanders nomination for president. This is the same party that enacted anti-worker Right to Work legislation in 1947. Today, these leaders speak to each other of down-ballot danger. My point is they are speaking to each other, not the working people of North Carolina left behind by a conservative/neoliberal economy. President Trump promised to disrupt the status quo. His populism is sure to fail the hopes of the struggling folks who supported him. It’s long past due that we’re given the choice of a disruptor from the left.

Bob Hrozencik, Vilas

Let’s not fixate on electabillity

Here’s my issue with electability when it comes to the Democratic nominee — no one knows what that is or who has it. Trump was totally unelectable until he wasn’t. Obama was unelectable until he wasn’t. We must choose a candidate based on character, temperament, honesty, intellect, and leadership/charisma. Policy positions are nice, but rarely do they fully play out in real life. Trying to guess who is most electable, scientifically or not, is pure folly. Let’s just choose the best person to be our nominee.

Steve Knickerbocker, Matthews

Dems are wasting time on Trump

For three years, Democrats’ efforts to get President Trump out of office have brought us wasted time with Russia, Russia, Russia, Mueller, collusion, and impeachment - all failing efforts.

Despite this interference, our president’s administration has created historically low unemployment, new jobs, and new fair trade pacts.

Democrats, please do your job and spend your time on things that will benefit America, like lowering prescription drug costs, infrastructure, and more. America needs you.

Howard Honeycutt, Charlotte

My new campaign slogan for Tillis

After years of watching Sen. Thom Tillis waffle or back-pedal on issue after issue, it seems easy enough to anticipate his new campaign slogan: “I stand for nothing, so I’ll stand for anything. You can count on me!”

This “candidate of the people” is anything but.

Michael Green, Charlotte

New voting machines have me worried

“Reliability of pricey new voting machines questioned, (Feb. 24) only increased my unease after voting early in Ballantyne.

When I took my marked paper ballot to have it scanned and entered I was told the machine had jammed and I was to put my ballot in a locked container to be scanned later when the machine was fixed. As I drove away from the polling place it hit me that I hadn’t really voted at all and was counting on the poll workers to enter my ballot.

This is wrong and just adds to the new voting system’s unreliability.

Frederick Timmerman, Charlotte

No ABC stores, but more DMV offices

State run liquor stores are inefficient and no longer relevant. The cost of building and maintaining ABC stores could be eliminated if private retailers were allowed to sell liquor. The state would still collect the tax — no expenses, just revenue.

Competition would lower prices and increase selection. Having lived in other states, allowing private retailers to sell beer, liquor and wine in one place is very convenient.

Closed ABC stores could be converted into DMV offices. Currently there are not enough DMV offices to serve the rapidly growing population of North Carolina, and many of them are in old buildings and not conveniently located. DMV operations could be moved to these modern and much nicer former ABC stores.

Randie Kopf, Charlotte