Where to start? Alex Mitchell claims SB 382, which forces municipalities to provide water/sewer to everything within its Urban Growth Area was introduced as a response to an earlier legislative attempt to “kill” his project. That is how “this thing got dragged to Raleigh by our opponents” according to Alex Mitchell.

Really, Alex, really? You didn’t get your way with the City Council so you were “forced” to go to Raleigh and stoop even lower than your previous underhanded tactics. Your go-to-guy, Cal Cunningham, hooks up with his old college buddy, Tim Moore, a Republican member of the General Assembly from Kings Mountain and gets him to co-sponsor this over-reaching piece of legislation which would force Durham (and other municipalities) to set aside their economic best interests to accommodate any and all ill-conceived projects such as yours all in the name of “fairness.”

Fairness for whom? What about fairness for the hundreds of homeowners across the street from your proposed project who thought they would one day be looking at low-density development and not a high density mini-city or fairness to the taxpayer burdened with providing services to your project? Aren’t they the real victims of your incredible temerity?

Some projects just need killin’.

Carol Young

Durham

An unfunded mandate

SB382 is an unfunded mandate that will compel cities to provide water and sewer connections to any development in Urban Growth Areas across the state. The implications of this ill-conceived measure are troubling.

Urban Growth Areas are orderly planning tools for the next 30 years. If this bill passes, whenever a new development pops up at the outer fringes of the area – where the city did not plan on extending services for decades – the city will have to provide water and sewer services.

This last-minute push has statewide implications. Routinely facing drought-related water shortages and restrictions, North Carolina cities will suddenly be expected to provide water lines to any and all new developments – in areas that are well beyond the city limits. Tell me, how does a city plan for that?

Water and sewer connections are but a fraction of the services required by a new development. Where will the tax money come from to pay for these services? Either existing services will be further cut -- or our taxes will have to be raised.

This is not a partisan issue. All N.C. taxpayers should be very concerned what this hastily-arranged measure will do to their wallets.

John Schelp

Durham

Folks over 65

No one is talking about people over 65 who can’t find regular full-time jobs.

“Oh, they must have Social Security,” you say.

I have news for you, they may have it, but it may be under $600 a month. I am 71 and will be working, when I can find work, until I die. I worked hard all my life, in the arts, where pay is low, unless you are a super star, which I was not.

No one could live on what I get monthly from Social Security. I have no safety net. I have no savings, no investments, no assets. The only thing I own is my 1997 Nissan. I’m always two paychecks away from living in my car. One root canal away from missing my rent.

Bottom line is, I need a job, just to pay my regular bills.

Recently my boss cut back my work week from five days to two, due to a seasonal slump. Not his fault. But I won’t even make rent ($588) this month.

But the candidates (I’m an Obama fan), who talk jobs, jobs, jobs all the time, are apparently not talking about me.

If there is the expressed concern that women earn only 70 cents on the dollar, compared to what men earn, there doesn’t seem to be the corresponding concern for older workers who are not only discriminated against, but also paid relatively less, both men and women, than their younger counterparts.

What about jobs for people in their 70s? What about discrimination against older job seekers. You just walk in an office with white hair and you’re several steps behind all younger applicants.

Two assumptions are in play here:

1) You’re older and maybe not as skilled or fast as others (untrue) and

2) You’re on Social Security and don’t need the job (untrue)

Major national candidates talk about women’s salaries being lower than men’s salaries. But no one says anything about older Americans living near poverty levels on very low monthly income from Social Security with, at best, half time jobs.

And I haven’t mentioned the lack of coverage for eyes, teeth and ears, not covered at all by Medicare or the Affordable Healthcare Act. But that’s another letter.

Meanwhile, about job seeking over 65, not even on the radar, I ask:

What about us? Gov. Romney? President Obama? Are you out there?

Gail Carson

Carrboro