On transit plan, Mecklenburg’s 6 smaller towns must be invited to the table

Regional transit

The writer was Davidson mayor 2007-2017 and Metropolitan Transit Commission vice chair.

Regarding “Charlotte’s transit plans must match our growth,” (Jan. 11 Opinion):

Former Huntersville Mayor Jill Swain has written accurately about the need for an effective transit system to help support our exploding region. Lost in the praise, however, is the crying need for Mecklenburg’s six smaller towns to be invited to the table to create this plan. In addition, the five counties bordering Mecklenburg have not been included.

Charlotte officials may respond they intend to connect with everyone, but they haven’t, and apparently they plan to seek legislative approval for their defined sales tax increase — for all of Mecklenburg County.

Other groups, including NC First and the Alliance, are also studying transit and transportation issues. A disjointed approach will only slow the much needed development of a regional system.

John Woods, Davidson

Impeachment

Trump Derangement Syndrome still afflicts Nancy Pelosi and many other Democrats on Capitol Hill. President Trump has only until Jan. 20 before he becomes embarrassing history, yet Democrats in the House are promising to impeach him one more time. What a waste of time and money. This country faces far more serious problems and House Democrats continue to waste their time on Trump.

Craig Reutlinger, Charlotte

Republicans

When the Republican-controlled Senate had a chance to impeach Donald Trump, they kicked the can up the street.

The five people who lost their lives during the insurrectionist attack at the Capitol would be alive if Republican senators had only fulfilled their constitutional duty. It was sheer hypocrisy on the part of those who spoke against Trump in the 2016 primary but changed course after the election — Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Nikki Haley.

The stain of the insurrection and the blood of the dead are on the Republican Party’s hands.

Leonard Jarvis, Concord

Biden must act

President-elect Joe Biden has stated recently that he wants unity in our country. He needs to step up to the plate like a true statesman and ask Speaker Nancy Pelosi to calm down with her spewing hate for Trump.

She is obsessed with getting rid of him before he leaves the office.

I am not proud of the attack on our Capitol. It was a disgrace. “United we stand, divided we fall.” The world is watching. We cannot function as the “United States of America” if we continue with all this garbage.

Barbara Bell Kerr, Charlotte

Trump’s warning

The next time a candidate for any political office tells us he/she could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue and not lose any votes, we need to believe them.

For that candidate to believe such a statement is a sign of sociopathy, and to say it is narcissistic. What a deadly combo. He warned us.

Tom O’Neal, Charlotte

Stop the fiction

In a statement saying he would vote to certify the Electoral College votes, Sen. Thom Tillis included this sentence: “Even if it wasn’t enough to change the outcome of the election, irregularities and fraud are never acceptable and they should be investigated and prosecuted when appropriate.”

After last Wednesday when the Capitol building was overrun, seven members from N.C. Congressional delegation voted not to certify the results.

It is time to stop the fiction that statements like Tillis’ and stances like the represenatives’ are designed to restore some kind of faith in our electoral system.

Any lack of faith is the result of repeating works like “fraud” or “stolen” without producing a shred of evidence.

Matt Samson, Cornelius

The Jan. 6 vote

Thank you, senators and representatives who voted to overturn the will of Arizona and Pennsylvania voters. When considering the next couple of elections, I just need to review that Jan. 6 vote.

A quick Google search will show who actually upholds democracy and who rejects it. As an Independent, it will make my voting decisions so much easier.

Douglas L’Hommedieu, Charlotte