Congress needs to solve budget problems
C-SPAN broadcast the congressional committee interview of Michael Huerta, FAA administrator, on April 24. The attack question of the Republican chairman was: "Why did you not earlier and better-inform Congress of the disruptive impact of sequester on U.S. air traffic?"
By Feb. 12, 2013, the impact of the $637 million sequester reduced the FAA budget for 2013 and was outlined in FAA meetings with aviation and shipping companies, contract towers, military transport needs, etc.
I understood the impact by reading newspaper reports and watching TV news. Mr. Huerta did a superb job of detailing the exact information and reasoning behind FAA's response. Seventy percent of operational budget is payrolls. Furlows of one day per pay period were required, and 149 contract towers were closed. Training, travel and contracts have been delayed.
Did Republicans not understand the bite they chose to pass instead of compromise and creating an approved U.S. budget? Do Tennessee Republican senators not understand that 90 percent of U.S. citizens desire universal background checks on all gun sales?
Shame on Congress for taking its sixth-week district vacation from Washington instead of solving the budget problems in committee compromises.
A.D. MAHONEY
Servers should earn decent wages
I wish someone would explain why the wait staff at restaurants only make around $2-something an hour. To me, it seems they should make minimum wage. It doesn't seem right that they are expected to rely on tips mostly.
A "tip" should be over and above a thank you for good service.
Sure, they could get other jobs; but who would wait tables? I applaud the hard-working people who do a fine job.
That is the reason I think a tip should be a reward for great and courteous service, not something that's expected. A decent wage should be expected!
WANDA LANGSTON, Apison, Tenn.
Once again, Bennett cartoon in poor taste
Political satire and humor are common and effective tools to express a point, but there are lines that serious journalist do not cross. Mr. Bennett's cartoon in the Sunday edition of the Times Free Press comparing the George Bush Library to the Holocaust Museum was something you look to find in a partisan publication like the The Daily Koss or Moveon.org -- not the Times Free Press.
Several months ago, I wrote another letter to the editor criticizing Mr. Bennett for his sick and tasteless cartoon of Judge Moon and Judge Bales that was published the very day that Judge Moon was buried, and I got a personal email from editor Harry Austin who gave a futile attempt at explaining Mr. Bennett's crude humor.
Well, Mr. Bennett, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss with you the Bush presidency any time, and also discuss with you that using the Holocaust as a comparison to anything that you may not agree with is in extremely poor taste.
JOHN CLARK