Description fits the president
Regarding your editorial (June 26) titled "Chuck? How's he doing?"
You stated that Chuck Fleischmann promised a lot while campaigning but has not delivered on his promises. Here is what you said:
(1) The rookie has kept a low profile.
(2) He has shown little initiative.
(3) He clearly prefers to react to events and issues rather than originate or promote them.
(4) He promised to act decisively and quickly.
(5) He rubber-stamps GOP orthodoxy even though some in his own party would prefer a more reasonable solution to issues.
(6) He is not flexible or has a willingness to compromise.
(7) He ran on a platform catering to special interests.
(8) He has an eye on the next election, not what is good for the district.
In case you did not realize it, you just described the president of the United States.
MARY FRICKE
Spring City, Tenn.
It's time to end funds bickering
Are taxpayers tiring of all the bickering, wasted time and printer's ink concerning funding of several endangered agencies?
Aren't city citizens due county-financed services provided to those in the county since we pay the same county tax as they do? County Mayor Coppinger says that the money is just not there to fund the agencies which provide essential services. Hey, "essential" means "necessary." The city's solution would be to raise taxes. Now he's seeing if he can goad the city to step up to the plate.
Schools are a county responsibility. Why not other necessary services such as police and fire protection, social services, Erlanger, the health department, street maintenance, libraries, etc.? Most of us routinely consume these services, drive the roads, and depend on traffic control. Why do city taxpayers have to separately bankroll services consumed by those who don't pay? The city must explore every avenue to equalize the tax burden. Public television and this pa
per should do a seminar, with diagrams and charts, showing the source of all income and funding outflows for the city and county. Show us who pays for what and who is getting a free ride.
GLEN MOULTRIE
Georgia shooting itself in the foot
Where are Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather when we need them? In the '30s, '40s and '50s, many African-American families from Georgia (and Alabama), migrated to Chattanooga to get jobs in the factories and to take advantage of Tennessee's less stringent segregation laws.
Who could have known that 70 years into the future, history would be repeating itself with Georgia's current immigration bill.
Once again this state has shown that more than any state I know of, it excels at shooting itself in the foot and looking stupid to the rest of the country.
C. MIKE HYDER
Dalton, Ga.