Too few can afford homes in Charlotte. These 2 real estate taxes could change that.

Rental market

According to “What salary do you need in Charlotte to afford a home?” (Nov. 18), affording a home is slipping out of reach for many prospective Charlotte buyers. You needed to earn nearly $80,000 to afford a home sold in 2020, and strong demand combined with low inventory have contributed to significant increases in rent and home sales prices.

That’s a strong argument for high progressive taxes on income and estates of the wealthy who are paying cash for homes and taking them off the market. Then, they raise rents to those who now cannot afford to buy a home themselves.

It also may be time for real estate legislation to tax the investment corporations and individuals who are getting wealthier by ruthlessly manipulating a finite market.

Chuck Kelly, Charlotte

Corporate tax

Regarding “A tax rate some (but not all) NC businesses will love,“ (Nov. 19 Opinion):

Raleigh and Charlotte are among the fastest-growing metros in the country for a reason: Our state creates incentives for people to move, live and bring their entrepreneurial spirits with them. Lowering the costs of doing business and providing value to consumers and employees is a magnanimous feat that should be plastered on every tourism poster rather than denounced in the state capital’s newspaper.

Since January 2020, roughly 29,000 new corporations have been created in our state. These are not all Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon giants. They are local plumbing companies, garment stores, auto body shops, and construction firms. These are ordinary North Carolinians living their dreams of owning their own businesses.

We need more of these enterprising individuals, not fewer. Let’s celebrate success.

Yael Ossowski, Concord

Book protests

As a retired librarian, I feel for the Fort Mill librarian who chose the book parents are protesting. He or she likely used approved selection sources when it was ordered and should be recognized for trying to include a neglected group of students. Since the book has been removed, I hope those protesting will recognize that the librarians were trying to build the collection to meet the needs of all students. I hope another book or books can be ordered to meet these needs.

Augie Beasley, Charlotte

Madison Cawthorn

Regarding “Cawthorn’s entry into new Mecklenburg County district shakes local Republicans,” (Nov. 15):

It is really too bad that some Republicans are concerned about Madison Cawthorn. North Carolina Republicans had every opportunity to shy away from such a man-child. By all rights his lack of higher education, his legal problems, and his total disregard for the Constitution should have kept him from even being nominated. He only speaks in soundbites and has done nothing for his current district, much less our state. There are too many other good people in North Carolina who could make a difference.

Chris Horn Williams, Charlotte

Donald Trump

A Nov. 18 Forum writer said Democrats kept Donald Trump from carrying out his infrastructure plan. Trump took the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2017 and his first impeachment was during December 2019. That gap represents almost three years of his term. A large part of why he wasn’t able to fulfill his promise on infrastructure is because he spent an inordinate amount of time watching television, sending tweets, golfing and attending rallies. Trump never put in the work required to address infrastructure and he clearly wasn’t the great negotiator that he claimed to be.

Barry Jordan, Charlotte

Wealth and power

Prominent in any discussion regarding the dangers to democracy posed by an accumulation of too much of a nation’s wealth by any one segment of its population must be the acceptance of the reality that it is not wealth itself, but the sociopolitical power it conveys that is the real danger.

Today, 70% of our combined wealth rests in the hands of 10% of our citizens. This is not a political issue. When the current scenario plays out, today’s political parties will no longer even exist and autocracy will rule our lives. If we hope to combat this threat, there are three things we must do: engage in a drastic reevaluation of current tax responsibility, adjust existing income disparities, and legislate in ways that will strengthen organized labor.

Robert A. Shaw, Indian Trail

Glasgow

The 2021 UN climate change conference was certainly a disappointment. With climate-affected weather events occurring constantly and evidence of human influence undeniable, too many parties put economics before preservation of the planet. It was unrealistic to expect them to come together with a shared moral commitment like The Avengers, saving the planet from our emergency in the nick of time. The results were simply better than nothing.

U.S. commitments, plus climate remediation in the Infrastructure and Build Back Better bills, won’t reduce greenhouse gases by 50% by 2030, especially when Duke Energy plans to burn more natural gas. We can make that goal if we add carbon pricing and give the money raised to households to soften the transition.

Dean Kluesner, Charlotte