The way I see it in NoDa, Charlotte’s UDO is another payday for developers

The UDO winners

Regarding “Charlotte OKs new rulebook to guide development,” (Aug. 24):

As this real-life example demonstrates, Charlotte’s new UDO zoning will increase the housing supply but will not necessarily create affordable or equitable housing.

In 2018, a renovated century-old NoDa mill house on a corner lot sold for $300,000. It was demolished and a duplex replaced it. The combined sale price of the duplex: $1.2 million.

The duplex eliminated the marginally affordable $300,000 home ownership opportunity. It also increased the property tax valuations for neighboring longtime homeowners, and erased more of the historic character of the neighborhood. For whose benefit?

Increased density is supposed to promote the ordinary citizen’s chance at affordable housing. But in reality, it looks like the UDO might just be another payday for developers.

Linda Vista, Charlotte

Centene’s exit

Reports that Centene won’t be bringing its East Coast headquarters and 3,000 jobs to its University City building site leave the area with an architectural white elephant generating little to no revenue.

When construction on the site began, two greenway accesses were closed with the promise of new accessways to come. They haven’t materialized.

We can hope that the city and state will make all due effort to recover Centene’s taxpayer-funded incentives and work to return the site to its formerly quiet, peaceful environment.

Michael A. Clark, Charlotte

Mick Mulvaney

Regarding “It’s time to talk about abortion, other issues civilly,” (Aug. 25):

The writer helped found CleanAIRENC.

While I’m totally with Mick Mulvaney’s hope for us to talk civilly about issues, he lost me in suggesting that the 3% of climate scientist deniers be part of a “civil discussion” on climate. There are no “two sides” about the climate crisis. It is real. It is human caused, as the scientists have been trying to tell us for over 40 years. The only discussion needed is how fast we can get our political leaders to do what is desperately needed for the planet — to rid ourselves of fossil fuels ASAP.

Nancy C. Bryant, Norwood

Loan forgiveness

President Biden’s student loan forgiveness is wrong in so many ways. All those people who have never been able to go to college get nothing. All those who worked two jobs and saved for years and paid their loans get nothing. Universities with billions in foundation dollars still get to raise their prices. This is nothing more than an attempt by the Democrats and Biden to get people to vote for them. Some economists believe this will increase inflation, which hurts every American.

Dick Meyer, Charlotte

College tax credits

Now that student debt forgiveness is a reality, what about the millions of students whose parents used their savings and worked two or three jobs to pay for their children’s education? Perhaps a justifiable action would be to provide the family of each child who graduated with a two or four-year degree, a $25,000 tax credit for each graduate. This equitable action seems only fair given the sacrifices so many hard-working families made.

Ed Carlson, Charlotte

The book banners

School has resumed and advocates for book banning have returned to public podiums for dramatic readings of profanity and sex scenes from the Young Adult shelves. But don’t be fooled — the cultivated moral panic over books that celebrate dress-wearing boys and critique human commodification is a red herring. The long-game is discrediting the idea of public education altogether.

Democracy — to which universal and equitable education is essential — is a never-resolved argument over personhood, justice and relationships. The book banners’ aim is to convince a critical mass of the public to abandon the education commons. They may claim to worry for all our kids, but separatists are always sure they’ll be the most equal in the end.

Nick Holt, Charlotte

Threats of violence

Sen. Lindsey Graham knew exactly what he was doing when he went on a Sunday news show and said there would be riots in the streets if Donald Trump were prosecuted. It came across as a threat.

Without Trump, Graham’s party would have to go back to actual governing with ideas and platforms that help constituents. That scares Graham because he has given up on the real government for the people. He has become one of our tabloid officials who divide the country with incendiary remarks.

I hope the Justice Department won’t bow to the threats of unscrupulous leaders. If people riot, lock them up just like the Jan. 6 lawbreakers. This country cannot operate on fear.

Benjamin J. Harris, Charlotte

Mark Robinson

It’s frightening to realize that Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson serves on the State Board of Education. Past comments and those he made recently reveal that he knows little about education. Suggesting that the schools should not teach science, history and social justice in elementary school, as he says in his book, is ludicrous. Our children deserve better. Just to think he might run for governor in 2024 is down-right scary.

Lucy Grasty, Charlotte

This story was originally published September 4, 2022 at 4:30 AM.