Thurman's actions reveal a balance
Rhonda Thurman recently wondered if there was an elitist role in the way a computer lottery somehow chooses who will be admitted to that school.
This annoyed some of the parents at Normal Park to the extent that one mother filed a complaint with the police against Thurman and later had to apologize about it.
Then Thurman wondered why inner-city schools soak up so much money with so little results. This annoyed the left side of the editorial page of The Times Free Press into calling her a racist and suggesting that she resign.
When a school board member is condemned for being anti-elitist and anti-poor all in the same month, she must be a balanced thinker, and I for one want her to stay on the Board of Education and continue wondering about things.
SUSAN von PETERS
Medical insignias alert responders
A local head of emergency services in your article (June 11) commented that paramedics might not notice a medical alert piece of jewelry that just looks like a typical fashionable bracelet or necklace.
We at Hope Paige Designs have done our homework. National first responder organizations have informed us repeatedly that they routinely check people from head to toe, with special focus on wrists and neckwear, for any medical information. Any piece of jewelry that displays the standard medical alert logo will be hard to miss.
Our products prominently display the medical insignias on the front of the bracelet which alerts first responders that the person has medical information that they need to be aware about. The fact that they are more desirable to wear doesn't make them less detectable.
RONALD BIRON
West Conshohocken, PA.
Lack of response is unacceptable
On Friday, July 8, I was in Soddy-Daisy and passed a house with a dog chained to its doghouse. You could see every rib on this dog, and its hindquarters were all bones, no skin covering this animal. It was a large white hunting dog with black and brown spots.
Unless this animal was sick and couldn't eat, it was being starved.
I called McKamey at 423-305-6500. I was told to call 423-624-5302, ext. 232, because they covered this area.
I called for over a half hour trying to get a person, not a recording. l did get someone at one point, tried to explain what was going on. They were very short with me, transferred me back to the recording.
I did leave a message with the address of where the dog was located and left my name and number and asked them to let me know the results of my call. I never heard a word.
I feel like this agency should have at least have let me know they did something for this animal. It's their job!
SHARON CORNETT
Dayton, Tenn.
Thurman should do her homework
I have to admit that I have difficulty interpreting Rhonda Thurman's recent remarks. Given what I read and the context, it appears that she is expressing angst and her idea that (1) extra monies spent on "urban," primarily black schools is wasted money, and (2) that these "urban" schools receive more monies than suburban schools.
The Times editorial (July 8) makes a serious attempt to ferret out and make sense of her remarks. It draws attention to the fact that urban schools receive the same local and state, per pupil dollars as the suburban schools, and that additional dollars received by urban schools are Federal Title 1 monies and private foundation monies.
That aside, there is an important point to make. Five of the nine schools in Thurman's suburban district receive Federal Title 1 monies. Furthermore, a search of the HCDE website shows that an additional 25 suburban public schools in our system receive Federal Title 1 monies. These 30 suburban schools are 37 percent of Hamilton County schools.
My question is this: After spending many years on the school board, should we really believe that Thurman is unaware of this, or is she nothing more than a rabble rousing, divisive politician?
JEFF CAMPBELL
Lookout Mountain
Editorial distorts truth
I have been a loyal subscriber to the local newspaper for 42 years, and until the past week, enjoyed the changes. The editorial on July 8, regarding Rhonda Thurman is pure evil, and a complete distortion of the truth.
Having listened to all sides and read every local Internet and paper article available, it is obvious that the Chattanooga Times Free Press is truly "out to get Rhonda" as she was warned. Shame on you for this blatant distortion and for the harm that it will bring to our city.
SALLY COOK
Hixson
Learning to live without computers
Like the letter writer (July 3), I do not have a computer and don't want one. A few companies have lost my business because they insist on my ordering via computer nomenclature!
Several years ago, I did learn enough on one at the library, via one of my sons, to be able to send emails to my grandchildren. But that's as far as it ever got, and I can't even do that now.
Occasionally I feel I have made a mistake because the electronic world has gone so far, so fast. But I think it's too late for me to catch up. And at 88, I have much to keep me busy that I'd rather be doing.
I do, however, resent the phone calls I have to make that now are totally electronically controlled and I can never speak to a human being. I just hang up! They just lost my request. I have managed and still have a good life. I find I read more than I used to.
MAUDE RODDY MELTON
Republicans not 'budget hawks'
Republicans say they want to cut the debt, but they declined a $4 trillion offer from the president and backed down to $2 trillion.
In doing so, they acknowledged the lie in their narrative portraying themselves as "budget hawks." These bottom feeders are actually more interested in lining the pockets of their rich constituents.
They are wanting more tax breaks for the corporate elite and to protect the corporate welfare that they funnel to Big Oil, Big Coal, Big Banks and Big Insurance.
These phonies, like Lamar Alexander, spent money like drunken sailors during the Bush fiasco, running up more than $5 trillion in debt and raising the debt limit six times in eight years without a single complaint.
Now Alexander, along with fellow Republican lackeys Corker and Fleischmann, want to destroy Medicare and cut Social Security and Medicaid while lining the pockets of their rich pals.
They curl their lips in scorn when they talk of "entitlements," as if it were charity rather than benefits that were earned over 40 to 50 years of employment. Before these parasites cut the benefits earned by working Americans, they should first forfeit all of their government benefits.
TERRY STULCE
Writer's language is excessive
I read a letter to the editor in Sunday's paper (July 10). It seems as though the writer is angry with our Board of Education.
She writes: "The embarrassing actions of certain current school board members and their Hamilton County Commission compatriots are proof positive that their goal is to promote anachronistic, parochial and divisive educational approaches which stand in stark contrast to progressive actions so clearly evident in the pro-active stance of other Chattanooga/Hamilton county entities."
My question: Is she testing her skills with multi-syllable words, or is she trying to tell us something?
Words like these aren't usually used in the lower grades: squandering, underestimating, tenacity, incompetent, inept, compatriots, anachronistic, parochial, divisive, educational, approaches, stark contrast, pro-active, entities, meddling, negative, regressive, and attitudes.
JOE McBAY