Speak Out: Local voices weigh in on River Campus performance, presidential pardons, and property taxes

The Speak Out column allows readers to voice their opinions on topics important to them. Comments are meant to be short in nature. There is no guarantee that a comment will appear in print or online. We encourage positive comments, especially those that mark local accomplishments and acts of grace. To submit a comment, go to: Submit Speak Out comment.

Bravo

I greatly enjoyed the production of "In Terra Pax" at the River Campus Tuesday night. The symphony and choir were delightful. Looking forward to the next two performances in the spring. But this one put me in the Christmas spirit with music from the Nutcracker, Christmas carol favorites and Handel's Messiah "Hallelujah Chorus". Bravo and Merry Christmas.

Gender-neutral toys

Forget shoplifting, migrant gangs or fentanyl — California Attorney General Rob Bonta finally found the real danger this holiday season, big retailers without “gender-neutral” toy sections.

Trump pardons

Politically motivated: Trump pardoned Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort, as well as his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner — who he just appointed U.S. ambassador to France.

Seniors' property tax freeze

The country commissioners will fix the freeze on senior citizens’ property taxes when they too are senior citizens.

Biden's bluff

Joe Biden said over and over no one is above the law. Ah, never mind.

Meltdown continues

The Democratic Meltdowns on Speak Out continues! They seem to know what will happen in 2025 but overlooked the years 2021 to 2024 as to the disastrous policies of Biden/Harris!

Trump's words

President-elect Donald Trump today promised “all hell to pay” if Hamas does not release their hostages before Jan. 20. That was quick. We’ve come a long way from the “tariffs” that Trump threatened Mexico and Canada with.

Presidential pardon

The pardon. It’s terrible for America — not just because it keeps chipping away at what makes America great and unique. Most importantly, it does nothing to solve the real problems facing America. Imagine if members of Congress — from both sides — went on cable news and held FEMA responsible rather than talking about Hunter’s pardon.

Bitcoin strategy

Missouri should be establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve. There are only 21 million Bitcoin that can exist, whereas the dollar can be printed to infinity. The dollar has no bottom so Bitcoin inversely has no top. We have an opportunity to front-run entire nations and could use this to reduce dependence on taxes as well as invest in the state.

TTF projects

Re: Street projects presented to Cape City Council: Hooray! Happy to see increasing sentiments for trading out some of the wide-open throttle reaches for the golden rings of growth, acknowledging a need for more sustaining and maintaining activities going toward our existing rusting and rotting city cores and foundations — streets, utilities (water), crimes, etc.

Idiots in charge

Our country is being run by a bunch of idiots. The most powerful nation in the world is $36 trillion in debt, yet we are funding foreign wars. It is time for new leadership in Congress. We need to send McConnell, Schumer, Pelosi and all the others who have bedded down in Congress packing. It may already be too late to save us from ourselves even with the help of President Trump.

Better days ahead

Liberals have become unhinged since the election. Saying we are headed into dark times? No, we are headed OUT of dark times. The new administration will be a breath of fresh air. We have had almost four years of very dark times, morals declining, government offices used for personal gain and illegal protection, and the list goes on. We are about ready to usher out probably the most corrupt and lying president this country has ever had. At the point we are at, things can only get better unless you are cashing in on the pay-to-play Biden scheme — and that is going to end abruptly.

Harris' challenges

A billion here and a billion there and soon you’re $20 million in debt. Couldn’t manage campaign money but was going to fix the tough economy, which she caused. Trump wasn’t the best choice but the only choice.

Will Joe be pardoned next?

As crooked as the Biden clan and the liberal Democratic Party are, you will see Biden pardon everyone he can, then he will step aside and let Harris be president and SHE will pardon the big guy!

SS bailout

One of the many unavoidable challenges ahead is the pending crisis in Social Security. Current projections are that the system will hit the wall in 2025 and after that time the benefits are projected to be 83% of current benefits. After that, it only gets worse. The solution? Either a further cut in benefits or a serious rise in taxes. Any politician who tries to solve this emerging problem with solutions like that would be voted out of office in the next election. And privatization is not a solution. How many people would follow the forced savings to have the money there for retirement? Not many. Then they would come for a compassionate bailout.

Trump vs. Biden numbers

The 2024 election was about the economy. Donald Trump ended his four years with a new minus job growth of -2,720,000 jobs. Economic growth: -2.2%. Home prices: +27.5%. Manufacturing jobs: -178,000. Consumer price index: +7.8%. Crude oil production: 27.9%. The Biden Administration added about 16.5 million jobs since Jan. 2021. The U.S. saw inflation rise 16.6%. The Average OECD of leading nations was 21%. Inflation is/was a worldwide condition. The Democrats are horrible at messaging.

McConnell and federal judges

So Mitch McConnell is bent out of shape over some federal judges rescinding their retirements so Trump can’t pick their replacements. This is the same Mitch McConnell who refused to allow Merrick Garland to be confirmed as a Supreme Court justice even though Obama had 10 months left in his term. I guess Mitch forgot about that little trick. What goes around comes around!

Cape’s pickling lawsuit

The City of Roses sure has themselves in a pickle. Our own city council sure opened up vulnerabilities with our budget by approving a zoning use permit for a private business. A permit that takes away an alleyway for public use. One that is used by neighboring residents and businesses. This type of action has already been litigated and is unconstitutional. Council was warned that by approving this permit, the plaintiffs would file a lawsuit against them. Well, here we are. The City has a choice and should choose wisely. Void the permit or continue litigation and waste taxpayer dollars. All for the sake of the business and their profits. Even though they claim it will be a “destination.” I’m sorry, but when people come to a destination establishment, they sit down and eat. All this drive-through does is raise the property value for the developer and favor the business, all while the Council disregarded neighboring individuals. People will remember this waste when the City pushes the water proposal next spring.

Stop lawfare

Joe Biden should now pardon Donald Trump. That would put an end to all of this lawfare and partisan revenge, then get on and fix the real problems that plague America.

Liberal predictions on tariffs

How do the liberals on Speak Out know what the effect of any tariffs that might be imposed by Trump will be? Mexico and Canada have already come around with just the hint of tariffs!

Help Americans, not Africa

Snow covered western North Carolina last night — wind chills will be in single digits tonight — and thousands of Americans are living in tents almost three months after Hurricane Helene destroyed their homes. Today, President Joe Biden is in Africa promising $1 billion in aid for its natural disasters.

China and the tariffs

China will eventually bow to Trump’s proposed tariffs due to the unrest by millions of Chinese who would be unemployed when Americans start to buy made-in-the-USA products!

Hurricane aid

American people living in tents in North Carolina — we can move the most sophisticated weapons systems in the world overnight to Poland and then into Ukraine, but somehow, FEMA can’t go to Camping World and buy trailers? Yes, the government should be able to walk and chew gum — but its inability to do so is shameful.

Africa trip

Why is Biden on a taxpayer-funded trip to Africa? Is he going to pay reparations to the descendants of slaves?

Veterans programs

Lots of government programs will be reviewed and cut or closed. One spending outlay — on serious review — is the veteran’s benefits. Trump has been documented repeatedly as calling military people “suckers’ and if they get injured or killed, he calls them ‘losers.’ Yet, President-elect Trump will be the commander-in-chief in January. How can that work out?

Lessons learned

To the Speak Out commenter regarding “lessons for kids": I have a lesson for kids that they will learn from this election that lying to people continuously, like our current president, is NOT OK. Our kid learned that even lying all the time won’t win you an election. They will learn that our newly elected Vice President-elect Vance overcame a very hard childhood and exceeded anything he would have dreamed of. Those are the lessons our kids are learning.