RINOs in the GOP? I’d rather have someone like Madison Cawthorn.

RINOS in the GOP

Regarding “Republicans spend money to purge Cawthorn, others,” (Sept. 28):

You may not have liked Rep. Madison Cawthorn, but he was not afraid to express his views.

Kevin McCarthy and other moderate Republicans worked hard to end his time in office. GOP leaders like Mitch McConnell and Liz Cheney want a more conciliatory party, which is a total disconnect with many working class voters.

Trump supporters like me want our candidates to be vocal and not become RINOS once in office.

Jim Cherry, Charlotte

Charlotte’s leaders

Regarding “Party and power: Are Charlotte’s leaders fixing the city’s most troubling issues? (Sept. 25):

Many of the issues affecting Charlotte and the ability of any politician and their party to seriously confront them depends on their relationship to power brokers in this city.

Are any of these leaders challenging Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Duke Energy, etc? No, they give them tax incentives and their executives plum positions on advisory boards so they can maintain the bottom line of their companies at the expense of the people of this city.

Are the Democrats in this city getting the job done? No, but I wouldn’t trust the GOP not to be a handmaiden either

Tom Pontecorvo, Charlotte

A failure to plan

A failure to plan and execute is a plan for failure. We have a failure to plan in Charlotte. Housing development is, at best, disorganized. There is little if any coordination with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on rezoning and its impact on over-capacity schools and roads. Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars on boondoggles like the streetcar line, our leaders need to focus on intelligent growth management which should include better aesthetics for all the apartments going up, better schools, and more parks.

Tom Blomquist, Charlotte

UNCC incident

Regarding “UNC-Charlotte must take action after police incident,” (Sept. 28 Opinion):

A kirpan is 3 to 7 inches long. A pen knife of any length is forbidden in carry-on luggage. If TSA deems a pen knife to be a threat, then common sense would dictate that the UNCC officer could perceive a kirpan to be one too. Surrendering it and explaining its significance would likewise be a more common sense approach.

Dan Schmit, Gastonia

A higher standard

Regarding Leonard Pitts’ “We believe GOP Senate hopeful Herschel Walker,” (Sept 25):

I agree with Leonard Pitts. People running for public office should be held to a higher standard of knowledge than the average citizen. I look around and don’t see the ordinary person, including myself, as smart enough to be running for office. What has happened that we have so lowered the standards in both parties as to elect people so unqualified to fill the halls of Congress, the Senate and the Oval Office.

Elizabeth R. Warren, Charlotte

Candidate research

A lengthy search of names of candidates on my sample ballot results in information on how to donate or volunteer — and none, zero, zilch about their opinion on the issues at hand. You can find all the information a person could want (and more) about what they ran for previously. But how they voted? That tidbit is hard to find. Their favorite author, what color they like best, and who their hero was growing up are apparently some of the only questions to which they chose to reply. It is no wonder we are in a mess of Titanic proportions.

Susan Broome, Waxhaw

Climate disasters

While young activists worldwide do everything they can to slow down and reverse climate change, our political leaders haven’t really stepped up to the plate. Recent articles in The Observer exposed famines in Africa, global water insecurity, and harmful effects of global warming on healthcare in the U.S. Worldwide reports show that more than half of all adults will be affected negatively by climate change and fear the effects of it. These articles make my blood boil. Do we need to watch loved ones die from extreme heat, drought or forest fires before we demand action? Why do we consistently vote for politicians who will do nothing?

Brenda Sweeney, Mooresville

A waste of time?

If a certain ex-president is reelected in 2024, what will he do concerning the numerous insurrectionists tried, convicted and sentenced for their roles in the Jan. 6 uprising? Will he perform a mass pardon by “thinking” them all innocent? Let’s hope the Justice Department, FBI, and other entities aren’t just wasting their time by trying to keep our democracy safe.

Noel A. Triplett, Charlotte

Thanks, Charlotte

We were blessed to have tickets for the Presidents Cup in Charlotte. My husband and I were amazed at how beautiful the course was and how absolutely polite and helpful the volunteers were. Going out to dinners we saw the same thing. Charlotte: You are truly an exemplary city of Southern hospitality. We’ll be back and we will be telling everyone we know about the charm and delightful experience we had in Charlotte and at Quail Hollow. Thank you!

Becky Miller, Louisville, Ky