Sunday, August 3, 2014
Having known and worked with Gwen Tidwell for many years, we consider her to be a diligent, sincere and very capable Criminal Court clerk. During her years of service, she has modernized the office and now the Hamilton County Criminal Court clerk's office is the best in the state. She has run the office in a nonpartisan way, because the function of the Criminal Court clerk's office has no reason to favor one party over another. Gwen serves in that elected office with little fanfare or public recognition but does her job efficiently and frugally. She has been able to save the taxpayers millions of dollars through a collection process she implemented some years ago. We are voting for Gwen Tidwell for Criminal Court clerk and hope you will, too.
COY AND BECKY BROWDER
Two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight. Over 30 percent of Tennessee adults are obese. Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. According to the CDC, the medical cost (in 2008 dollars) of obesity in this country exceeds $147 billion. With these facts in mind, TVA ending its acclaimed LiveWell program seems short-sighted, especially for a company that prefers preventive maintenance over corrective. A May 2012 "Health Affairs" article reported a "review of 36 peer-reviewed studies of wellness programs in large firms and found that average employer medical costs fell $3.27 for every dollar spent on wellness programs. TVA would save far more than the cost of its LiveWell program if it offered lower health care insurance premiums and higher comprehensive health care packages to employees who elected to participate in a wellness program and financial penalties to those who elected not to participate. From what I can determine, VW and Blue Cross of Tennessee actively encourage their employees to achieve more healthy lifestyles. TVA, with only 10 percent of its employees using its fitness centers, does not.
JACK ZOLLINGER
If anyone truly wanted to serve God and attend church, they would do all things possible to do so.
JENNIFER BRADFORD
Dad adopted a thoughtful look regarding Tommy Crangle's campaign. They had met while making extraordinary contributions to cheap, reliable electricity for state residents, businesses and industries. "Tommy Crangle ... yeah, he saved my bacon on more than one occasion, son! I made it a habit not to ask him or anyone else for help unless I really needed it; but, I never asked him that he didn't come through." Tommy is reliable, a problem solver and a man of action. When our nation was arguing whether we should have gone into Iraq, Tommy was more practically engaged, serving to get the Iraqi power grid operating reliably for its citizens. I recommend Tommy to Tennessee House District 27 voters. A proverb counsels, "Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off." Tommy's record is one of serving many neighbors. My dad and I are glad he has been willing to be our friend and neighbor. He'll be yours, too, in the Tennessee House.
DAVID TILL, Ooltewah
Just think about this: A person highly qualified is applying for a job. As he is just about finished filling out his papers for his interview, he sees at the bottom there is a place for him to check Democrat or Republican. He would think, "If I mark the wrong one, I may not get the job!" Being a real leader requires honesty, integrity and, most importantly, fairness. Now is the time to consider Greg Beck and Warren Mackey for chairman and vice chairman of the County Commission. Both have served at least eight years, and both are highly qualified. This is the time to be fair, and the commission would be judged by the public as fair-minded. Beck and Mackey are well-respected. Citizens would be proud of the commission.
CURTIS D. ADAMS, retired Hamilton County commissioner
I am just as happy about the Volkswagen announcement as the leaders of our community. I am not at all happy with the decision of the UAW to again try to force their thinking on the employees of this facility. The current employees registered their decision several months ago. Some 60-plus years ago, I was thrilled to obtain a job as an apprentice draftsman in an engineering department in another state. A short couple of months after beginning, I was advised by the union that under the terms of their contract, I was compelled to join and begin paying dues. Granted this move increased my hourly wages, but it gave me no additional benefits, just reduced my net income to cover union dues. Since that time, I have had no love for unions. Fortunately for me, management quickly moved me to a salaried position, which angered the union. As time went on, I progressed to the point where I changed positions and ultimately, for me and my family, I became a resident of Chattanooga. Had I been forced to remain in the union, who knows where I would be today.
MELVIN WILLETT