Letter: ‘Out-of-towners’ label leads nowhere

Posted on by Letters
Graphic by Lori Deaton

Thank you for your coverage of the continuing problem of housing affordability and the current price surge in Asheville [“On Demand: Out-of-town Interest Drives Local Real Estate Market,” July 21, Xpress]. The piece was factual and thought-provoking.

I must take issue, however, with the screaming cover headline, “Out-of-towners …” That phrase is blamed for housing, traffic, education, hotels, the homeless, the price of golf and other recreation, and on and on and on.

Please remember, unless you are of Cherokee descent, everyone here at one time was an “out-of-towner.” That phrase leads to contentious, unproductive conversations. It is a convenient excuse to not tackle whatever is in front of us. How long has the “future I-26” signage been here? How much longer will it be here? And, yes, I am an “out-of-towner,” twice.

— Les Vann
Asheville

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com
View all posts by Letters →

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

4 thoughts on “Letter: ‘Out-of-towners’ label leads nowhere”

  1. Bright

    The powers that be like Aville the way it is. They want people to “comment” residents can vent their enlarged spleens…of course everything stays the same. Smoke and mirrors, par.

  3. LauraNu

    General Manager of WLOS-TV In Asheville, North Carolina? One of the worst excuses for a t.v. station in existence?

  4. Godslayer

    Chuck Brodsky — “the Bob Dylan of North Carolina”– has a song about the “been heres” and the “come heres” that perfectly encapsulates this controversy.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.