Haslam must make some hard choices
The Chattanooga Times Free Press article on page A1, Monday, March 28, titled "Governor must deal with GOP hard-liners," says it all. We have elected a "social conservative" governor.
As a member of the Republican Party, I do not want a governor who cannot make a hard choice as to who he wants (to) stand with.
The Tennessee Education Association (TEA) and the National Education Association (NEA) hide behind the "Progressive" title and march with the communist and socialist.
Gov. Haslam will also have to take a stand on (an) illegal alien immigration bill, whether he wants to or not.
I simply want a governor, congressman and senator who have enough guts to take a hard stand on tough issues. No guts, no glory.
BYRON J. HENDRIX
Cleveland, Tenn.
Some solutions for 'nothing to do'
I've been reading with great interest letters concerning violence in our city parks and potential solutions. I particularly found Paul Mallchok's letter (March 28) very insightful and comprehensive.
I've been saying continually we need to fence the park so we could better control the inflow of patrons.
I'd like to add to the excellent suggestions of Mr. Mallchok's letter.
I believe if we charge a small fee to enter the park, the money could be used to offset the additional security and expense of the fence. I'd gladly pay a small fee to be able to feel safer. While it's sad it has come to this, it's a reality.
I'd also suggest citations for underage/unaccompanied teenagers. Rather than having them detained in the already overcrowded juvenile detention centers, I would suggest either after school hours or Saturday academic centers where the teenagers would spend their time learning something instead of just "sitting and waiting for their time to be up."
I would also offer the option of community service on Saturdays; reading to the elderly, painting and cleaning parks, schools, etc.
Just some observations and suggestions. To those who say that teenagers do this because they "have nothing to do," here is a solution.
ANGIE DALY
We should welcome teens in our parks
Violent crimes appear to be on the rise in Chattanooga.
Men between the ages of 18 and 24 are responsible for most of it. The mayor and the City Council have responded by discriminating against minor citizens and their families. How will this make our city safer?
My family lived in North Shore for a short time and we often visited the downtown area. We have seen groups of teenagers playing Frisbee and high school students jogging in the park. Banning these activities will not fight crime. With this vague supervision law, I worry my family will be harrassed. We will quit visiting Coolidge Park and the shops on Frazier Avenue if the government creates a hostile environment.
It's disturbing when the police plan to arrest hundreds of teenagers for existing in a public place. What a waste of resources that could be directed at real criminals! A wiser idea would be to enlist young people in caring for Coolidge Park.
Signs prohibiting people will keep out law-abiding youths but that does nothing to deter crime. Teens should be welcome in their city's parks. Young people who are invested in their city can be part of a revitalized Chattanooga.
CYNTHIA
JAMES-CATALANO
Time to embrace new energy ideas
New energy ideas are safer/smarter.
To save money, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and nuclear industry have drastically lowered safety standards. Over 90 U.S. nuclear plants keep only four hours battery power, half Japan's too-low levels.
Spent-fuel rod pools filled to overflowing greatly increase terrorist and natural disaster threat.
With 30,000-year radioactive waste, nuclear allows human error, greed, terrorism or disaster the potential to kill millions.
TVA's proposed Bellefonte, Ala., nuclear, 40 miles from Chattanooga, would be located over porous limestone rock containing caves and sinkholes, known by geologists as Karst Terrain.
Sequatchie faultline earthquake zone lies one mile west. Smarter ideas:
A revolutionary device that harnesses energy from slow-moving rivers (most TVA waterways) and ocean currents, could generate electricity for the entire world at prices competitive with coal.
The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (helped develop Internet and satellite navigation systems) produces fuel from algae nearing $1 per gallon.
Capturing sunlight via satellite solar and beaming electricity to Earth could supply endless energy, according to Defense Department's National Security Space Office. In one year, satellites in a continuously sunlit orbit could generate energy equivalent to all global oil reserves.
TVA and politicians need to ignore big coal/oil/nuclear and embrace the many smarter ideas.
TAMI FREEDMAN
Rossville, Ga.
Many in GOP cater to tea party
The tea party is a complete fraud. If they actually stood for anything that they claim to, they would have been out in full force when Bush/Cheney were demolishing the economy and going into a war based upon lies.
Had they done so, I would have been with them! The Iraq war, the killing and wounding of Iraqi civilians as well as U.S. troops, created much more hatred for us in the Arab world. Unregulated greed leads to economic disaster (check the 1920s).
Most of the GOP politicians are pandering to the tea bag group. They falsely attack health care - the Affordable (Health) Care Act. Rep. King, N.Y., is spreading more hatred against Muslims with his "witch hunt" (what has happened to "freedom of religion"?). Trump has joined the absurdity of the "birthers"!
Mike Huckabee, who claims to be a Christian as well as a former preacher, absolutely lied about President Obama and Kenya. Then he says that he meant Indonesia! He knows many Americans have no idea where the Mau Mau uprising took place, but he knew that it was Kenya! So he was "bearing false witness." Guess that for Republicans, the Ten Commandments are only for displaying!
WALTER M. BENTON
Signal Mountain
Check into issues about apartments
A "developer" is building a 282-unit cracker box complex in Red Bank? Chattanooga?
As regards traffic and anything else: "We don't see any negatives," the developer says.
The city of Chattanooga says the complex is in Red Bank. City Manager Dorsey of Red Bank says the complex is in Chattanooga. Who issued the building permits? Who is doing the required inspections? When the place is finished, who is going to want to collect the property tax?
Why are all these cars in my way?
Who is going to address the fact that when the drive to the complex was connected to Dayton Boulevard, the contractor left Dayton Boulevard with bumps that remind us of the roller coaster at Lake Winnepesaukah?
This sounds like a case for some of that investigative reporting for which you guys would like to be famous.
JAMES HILL
Red Bank