Letters: Voters should look closely at what charter amendments would do

The city skyline photographed from the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Friday, June 14, 2024. (Photo by Sophia Germer, The Times-Picayune) Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Voters have no way to make an intelligent decision on Amendment 1 to the home rule charter. A housing trust fund may be a laudable idea, but the voters are being asked to create a large pot of money without knowing how the fund will be administered.

There are too many unanswered questions. Who can qualify? What criteria must be met? What are the rules, terms, conditions, restrictions and/or limitations? Will it apply to new construction or just to rehab and renovation? Will only certain contractors be allowed to perform the work? How will compliance be monitored? Are the voters just supposed to trust that some committee or commission will be good stewards of tax dollars? And if 2% of the general fund is going to be redirected away from other services and/or departments, shouldn’t the voters know what will be sacrificed? As for Amendment 2 to the home rule charter, creating a Workers' Bill of Rights, what’s the point? News reports that have pointed out that the rights would be unenforceable. In my opinion, voters should not be asked to cast uninformed or inconsequential votes.

ANNE WITTMANN New Orleans.