2 weeks Ago
Every personRe “No rights” (Your Views, April 12): The author claims that because someone has come to this country illegally, they have no rights. That is absolutely, definitely, unquestionably false. Every person in this country has the same rights.
Period.The 14th amendment says “any person.” It does not say citizen, legal alien, law-abiding, the same skin color as me, or speaks English.
It says “any person” and that includes illegal aliens, South American gang members and even Russian oligarchs. Everyone, every human being in this country, regardless of status, has rights.“[No] State [shall] deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
” Get it?Dr. Joseph H. Discenza, PoquosonSharingRe “Why 18 governments are too many for Hampton Roads” (Other Views, April 13): Great op-ed article in April 13th’s paper.
I always felt Virginia Beach decided it owned the Atlantic Coast waterfront and didn’t want to share it out of greed.Surely that was the city’s thinking when it refused to contribute to extending the light rail system out of Norfolk. In reality, it would have given Virginia Beach more business without having to deal with additional traffic and parking spaces.
I’m certain the city’s selfishness led to the demise of Norfolk’s MacArthur Center and other businesses. Virginia Beach doesn’t seem to want to make it easy for its residents to spend money elsewhere. It is time to unite so we can all enhance and enrich the economic potential of Hampton Roads.
Diane Aldridge, HamptonTax hikeRe “City considers tax increase to cover public safety needs” (A1, March 23): While I do not begrudge the police department or the fire department in Chesapeake their requests for greater funds for both equipment and personnel, I have some concerns about a 2-cent rate increase in real estate taxes. I recently received a letter from the city showing an approximately 10% increase in assessed value of my home with a significant increase in my annual real estate taxes.That seems like a considerable amount of money on top of the annual property tax increase based on inflation and increased property values.
It’s hard to believe since it is well above inflation that there aren’t extra funds from the real estate tax increase that they might also be able to fund these requests.I’ve seen nothing in the newspaper or any letters from the city of Chesapeake, and I’m on the mailing list, to suggest that costs in the city have skyrocketed to the point it requires a 2-cent rate increase.Steve Restaino, ChesapeakeRough roadPresident Donald Trump and the Republicans are saying that it may be a “little rough” when the Trump tariffs kick in.
Hmm ...
I wonder what a “little rough” means to folks living on a fixed income or those people working two jobs so they can just put food on the table.I know there are older folks whose only income is their monthly Social Security checks (and we’ve already been warned the government may miss a month or two before everything “gets worked out”). Many of those folks already cut their prescribed medications in half to save money and many of them eat only two meals a day to keep costs down.
So when the tariffs kick in, food prices and everyday items costs are going to increase. Prescribed medicines may be further rationed and meals may have to be just reduced to just one a day.For those folks, the rise in costs is going to be a lot more serious than a “little rough.
”Maury Neville, ChesapeakeSign up for Viewpoints, an opinion newsletter.
