Letters to the Editor: January 2015

Immeasurable thanks go to Representatives Nathan Ramsey and Tim Moffitt from thousands of us who appreciate their service.

While cutting taxes for all, they reigned in N.C.’s wasteful spending and reduced the highest taxes and unemployment rates in the entire southeast. Passing laws increasing job opportunities, they updated or eliminated obsolete and duplicative regulations. Contrary to ads proven false, they increased spending on education.

We thank them for pulling us out of the huge debt inherited from the Democratic-led legislature and governor Purdue. We thank Representatives Moffitt and Ramsey for protecting county residents from Asheville’s increasing control of regional resources and citizens, including forced annexation. We thank them for environmental laws, including those for the CTS site and for coal ash dumping, neither of which had ever been addressed by Democrats.

These two hardworking, poorly paid, and dedicated statesmen most unquestionably made N.C. better. Their experience, intelligence, courage, and strong character will be missed by thousands.

Hopefully, the election spending (many times that of the Republicans) and false advertising by Ager and Turner pays off as well for constituents, but I doubt it.

I found it worth my gasoline to attend the police violence (counter)protest because of a very fortunate coincidence in that a major national movement involving many youth are mobilizing for a mainly municipal cause; while Asheville simultaneously selects a new police chief after losing ours over what might easily be the same issues.

This is a perfect storm of events that ultimately could revolutionize youth turnout in municipal elections; especially if young citizens (alas, I can no longer include myself) can find a way around the lesser evil quandaries that they find so demoralizing, and so do I.

One such alternative that I have sent off to Ferguson (Mo.) activists is the kind of recall election that toppled Grey Davis in California.

Such elections uniquely enable angry young voters to vote against politicians rather than for them, and that combined with turnout motivated referenda like the North Carolina gay marriage amendment give us a rare opportunity to bring angry youth to the municipal polls in record numbers.

The youth of Ferguson can move right away on a recall, though unfortunately the youth of Asheville might have to learn to hold a grudge for nine months.

While I was at this (counter)protest, I saw an impressive sight. On what might have been Chief Anderson’s last day, Asheville Police displayed impressive tolerance of some somewhat provocative anarchists, who blocked traffic and used the “F” word.

I particularly would like to thank Chief Anderson for inspiring that kind of restraint on the part of APD and hope his successors can keep up that kind of work.I also hope that Asheville selects a new chief with at least as much civilian experience in domestic violence shelters as April Burgess-Johnson of Helpmate. Unfortunately, a chief might need a police resume in addition to Ms. Burgess-Johnson’s, unless she can qualify quickly, but I still consider Ms. Burgess-Johnson’s domestic violence resume to be a minimum qualification for a new chief because that is fundamentally what municipal police are paid for. If not for domestic violence, cities could simply encourage county, state and federal police to patrol for free while using local funds to relieve the poverty that motivates so much destruction.