Legislative action needed on guns more than thoughts and prayers

This past week, our local representative Harry Warren just made every family in the region less safe with his vote to make it easier to obtain pistols.

Although I’m sure he’d send out his “thoughts and prayers” if my child or your child never came home from school one day because they were murdered with a pistol or an AR-17. Contrary to his thoughts and prayers, I’d rather see action (and by that I mean legislative action to ban automatic assault weapons among other things).

Guns have become the leading cause of death nationwide for children ages 1 to 19. That is a grotesque, national embarrassment. For all the parents out there concerned over what our children are being taught, or what book they may come home from a school library with, where is that outrage when schoolchildren are murdered? Have we honestly become immune to the shock of seeing bullet holes in little children? Are we honestly OK that our school age children are being forced to do active shooter drills and taught how to cower under a desk or play dead?

Reprehensible Republicans in Raleigh have recently introduced a parent’s bill of rights. How about instead, they introduce a child’s bill of rights? One that would guarantee schoolchildren freedom from the fear of a school shooter.

— Andrew Jacobson

Salisbury

Taxpayers will remember if rate isn’t revenue neutral

Property tax hike! Where does it stop?

I spoke to three commissioners a couple weeks ago and Edds said “the new rate would not be revenue neutral.” Why? The transactions and data points used for the new values were from 2019-2022. This timeframe saw low building costs and materials, sub 2.5% interest rates, low labor costs and low inflation. This all contributed to the housing market boom.

But rates have tripled, materials are high, labor is high, inflation at 40+ year high. Revenue neutral is not an option? Why?

I agree homes are worth more but with a family of four and two kids in daycare a 112% increase and $350+ per month added to a mortgage payment in these times is absurd. The commissioners and all Rowan municipality leaders need to give the taxpayers a break!

Voters will remember this in the next election cycle.

— Seth Correll

Landis