Road crews did crucial work following storm

N.C. Department of Transportation crews work tirelessly to maintain and build the safest roads possible, and keeping those roads clear for you to travel safety is also our top priority.

Safe travel for essential commuting has been Gov. Roy Cooper’s goal during this latest storm as well. The governor suspended inaugural events to offer his personal support from the Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh.

Cooper leads thousands of dedicated state employees who worked during this first winter storm. Hundreds were from right here across the Triad. Division Nine crews from across Stokes, Davie, Davidson, Rowan and Forsyth counties have been essential to the local response to the snowstorm.

Since the storm’s arrival, Division 9 staffed 292 state employees and 173 contract workers with their snowplows, salt trucks and motor graders.

I’d like to thank my crews for their effort and the public who heeded warnings and limited travel, protecting themselves and our workers. We will continue to serve, construct and maintain your roads.

— Pat Ivey

Winston-Salem

Ivey is Division 9 engineer for the N.C. Department of Transportation.

This is ‘fair’ housing?

Imagine working hard to afford the home of your dreams. You rode through the neighborhood many times dreaming about the prospect. It was a dream come true when your family was able to finally move into this home.

Then one day you received a letter from the federal government’s HUD stating that the Affirmatively Further Fair Housing Rule (AFFH) dictates that your neighborhood was selected to begin having a “fair housing” project scheme in your area. The government required that people receiving housing assistance be placed in your neighborhood.

According to Sen. Mike Lee, “Proponents of AFFH, including Obama, claim that it fulfills the original purpose of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 (FHA). But the truth is, HUD’s new housing rule isn’t the fulfillment — but a betrayal — of FHA. The original intent was to protect the God-given right of individuals and families — no matter their skin color or ethnicity to buy and rent homes where they please. By contrast, the explicit purpose of HUD’s new rule is to empower federal bureaucrats to dictate where a community’s low-income residents will live.”

This rule allows the federal government to audit areas and determine if there is enough diversity. The rationale for doing this is when local governments apply for federal grants. If they are found to be not diverse enough they must agree to mandate builders and developers to adhere to “fair housing” amongst other means to achieving fairness.

Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis voted with Democrats to stop Sen. Lee’s amendment to not fund AFFH. Let’s pray that Trump rolls this harebrained dictate back and keep our representatives accountable.

— David Treece

Concord