Room in the Inn is key resource - and more letters to the editors

Room in the Inn is key resource

The Times Free Press article "Jamie's Choice (June 17, 2014) states new construction "will be the only year-round emergency shelter for homeless families in the city."

Shelter services for homeless families are available for emergency cases at Chattanooga Room in the Inn. Unless we are completely full, Room in the Inn provides emergency placement for homeless women and children within two hours.

Additionally, CRITI allows the Chattanooga Police Department to access our shelter after hours when officers encounter a woman with children with no place to go and space is available.

Yes, families do have a few requirements to meet after the initial emergency placement to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Our staff helps the client through the process and allows them to enter shelter in a timely manner.

I applaud the Maclellan Foundation for the substantial contribution it is making to help the situation in Chattanooga.

But please don't ignore the work that local nonprofits have been doing to eliminate local homelessness. Chattanooga Room in the Inn has been here for the homeless for over 25 years.

ELIZABETH SAVARD, Chattanooga Room in the Inn


Questions linger on facility robbery

I still have questions on the robbery at Bessie Smith Hall. I know it has fire protection. Does it have a burglar alarm?

If not, why not? If it has one, was it set the night of the Strut? Does it monitor unscheduled openings? Was the money in a safe or a desk? I have heard both.

Who decided to leave that money there overnight? Without a guard? Was the money counted before the end of the evening? Why weren't secured drops done during the day?

What is the nature of the agency that administers the hall? Who do they answer to? And why isn't Torrey Hines facing vandalism and destruction of government property charges?

Inquiring minds want to know.

ROD YOUNG


Insurance double standard decried

A Times Free Press July 5 headline reads "Free birth control is emerging standard for women."

Previously, many private insurers had been under pressure to provide contraception for their female employees under "preventive care." The federal government through the ACA has added another layer of legitimacy with its contraceptive mandate.

The U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Hobby Lobby case has exempted certain employers from having to provide abortifacients, but not contraceptives. Individual plans, moreover, continue to not be exempt.

Candidly, intercourse has but two possible purposes, procreation or recreation. Contraceptives prevent the former while allowing the latter.

The same federal government that argues to provide young females the tools for recreational sex with taxpayer dollars, has also on Jan.1, 2007 [P.L.No.109-91, section 103, amended section 1860d-2(e)(2)] excluded for male seniors, coverage under Medicare Part D for all drugs used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, claiming such use to be recreational only.

Generic hormonal contraceptive tablets, moreover, are available for as little as 50 cents each, while approved drugs for ED, average $35 a pill!

Double standard or male gender and age discrimination at its finest?

MICHAEL ZEMA


Support CARES Act to help seniors

One would think it would be a no-brainer that something that would save the government money, provides better service to people on Medicare, and seems to have widespread support on both sides of the aisle would be brought up and passed by Congress without a fight or delay.

Under current Medicare payment policy, for Medicare to cover skilled nursing facility services, the beneficiary must have an "inpatient" hospital stay lasting at least three days.

Most private health care insurance plans for seniors have already eliminated the inpatient requirement, and it's time for traditional Medicare to do likewise as it will not only benefit the patient but also prove to be more cost effective for Medicare. H.R. 3531, Creating

Access to Rehabilitation for Every Senior Act, would eliminate the three-day "inpatient" hospital stay requirement for Medicare beneficiaries who are in need of skilled nursing facility service, thus not requiring a patient to be hospitalized before receiving skilled nursing services.

TONY STAMP, Dunlap, Tenn.


Obama deceit should be clear

So now the Obama administration is questioning the patriotism of this American soldier who deserted his post. The administration is changing its story to add it would be dangerous to say he was going to be released or the Taliban may kill him.

More smoke and mirrors as usual -- all of this probably to take our minds off the VA hospital scandal and our president's ineptness.

So the Obama administration is pulling another Susan Rice lie and saying he is a hero. Look at the video again ... close.

"We the people" are slowly coming to our senses about our government's spin and deceit.

Mr. Bergdahl is a Taliban sympathizer, and our president used him to get the command center of the Taliban free. Both should be indicted for treason.

How low America has come. When will we the people wake up?

ROBERT D. HENRY


Iraqi, American struggles not same

The troubles in Iraq highlight insurmountable philosophical differences.

We went into the region for the right reasons: attack terrorism, defeat a tyrannical dictator and then rebuild the country. But Iraq did not seek democracy itself; we pushed democracy upon them. In 1776, we were demanding our liberty.

Iraq has shown it is unwilling to work beyond sectarian lines. Many want an Islamic caliphate. Nothing that we do will change that -- all the money or troops that we throw at the problem will not make it go away.

The people must want a change. They must want it so badly that they are willing to stake their lives and their sacred honor upon the fight. We did, but sadly they won't.

GERALD WHITELY, Ringgold, Ga.


Churches recognized for prison outreach

Thank you for Roger Smith's excellent commentary about faith-based efforts to address Chattanooga's social problems, published July 5, 2014. May I expand upon a point?

With regard to prison mentoring, please know that First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga was but the catalyst for the creation of the all-volunteer team called the Community Mentoring Ministry to raise large numbers of prison mentors. Since starting two years ago, men from First Presbyterian Church have trained 85 mentors from 23 churches to engage one-on-one, or better put, "life-on-life," with men at Walker State Prison and with women at The Next Door, a state of Tennessee pre-release facility on Moccasin Bend.

I write this letter to honor all the churches engaging in this hard work.

Pastor Tim Tinsley and our church leadership fully support this ministry. We see men and women from several denominations putting aside unessential differences to fulfill the biblical mandate to seek the welfare of the city.

With this kind of leadership from our pulpits, and with the overflow of love for God expressed by individuals in merciful service toward our community, I feel like asking, in the same spirit expressed by Roger Smith, "Together, what can we not do?"

ALAN BONDERUD

Upcoming Events