Harvey Gantt: In US Senate race, don’t get distracted by Cunningham’s personal issues

US Senate race

I was disappointed to read that you chose not to endorse either candidate in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race. Taking a pass on the most important election in a generation is a luxury that we cannot afford. The clear choice is Cal Cunningham.

The Observer editorial focused on recent disclosures in Cunningham’s personal life. We all make mistakes, and I am proud that he took responsibility for the hurt he caused.

Voters are now ready to focus on the issues that impact them daily.

Amid a pandemic, we know Cunningham will fight to save the Affordable Care Act, while Sen. Tillis has voted to repeal it. Cunningham supports expanding Medicaid to help more than 500,000 folk who lack access to healthcare. Tillis led the charge to block it.

This election is too important to get distracted.

Harvey Gantt

Former Charlotte mayor and US Senate candidate

US Supreme Court

It is a very sad day for America when perhaps the most qualified judicial nominee in history — a woman — was confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court with 48 senators voting “no.” Politics is destroying this country, and they should all be ashamed.

Dick Meyer, Charlotte

GOP message

It is ironic that the GOP message is that chaos and economic uncertainty will be the result of Joe Biden being elected. We now have a needlessly uncontrolled epidemic, racial unrest, record joblessness, and wildfires in part due to climate change that the administration denies.

Despite many losing healthcare due to job loss and poverty, the president has yet to reveal the “beautiful” health plan he has promised for five years.

The United States is in a mess, and it is a mistake to think the guy who got you into a mess will get you out.

Vincent Keipper, Concord

COVID relief

Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott worked all weekend to make sure the confirmation of a new Supreme Court justice happened before the election.

Yet, there are still S.C. citizens waiting on COVID-19 relief to prevent them from losing their homes. Evictions are still being filed every day, and millions have lost their jobs.

The result: Millions of Americans looking for affordable housing during an affordable housing crisis.

It is time for Graham and Scott to stop pushing their partisan agenda and help the people of South Carolina. Pass a relief package with $100 billion in rental assistance.

Yolanda Gordon, Tega Cay

Car-free housing

I was stunned to see that the Charlotte City Council had approved car-free housing as if it were a new and creative idea to help provide affordable housing. (Oct. 19)

During most of the 21st century car-free housing has proliferated near my sister’s home in Los Angeles, to such an extent that neighborhood streets lined with single-family homes are packed with cars 24/7.

People in Charlotte are as dependent on cars as people in LA and those apartment dwellers will have cars even if they have to park them far away and bicycle to them, as happens near my sister.

Car-free housing has already been tried elsewhere and has failed to prove the theory that having no parking spaces means no cars.

It’s a boon for the developer, but it’s not the answer to affordable housing because there is too much collateral damage.

Gwynne Movius, Charlotte

Eastland site

Regarding “Charlotte FC pulls MLS headquarters out of Eastland Mall site. City slashes incentives,” (Oct. 26):

While not untrue, this headline only focuses on what has been taken out of the Eastland Mall site plan and neglects to mention what was added. As someone who lives a mile from the Eastland site and who watched the entire presentation at the City Council meeting on Monday, I’m thrilled with the changes and think the new plan is even better for our community. I urge City Council to unanimously approve the revised Eastland plan when it votes on this proposal Nov. 9.

Heather Ferguson, Charlotte

This story was originally published October 27, 2020 at 2:36 PM.