America should elect nonpolitician president
Why was the current president, who was a "community organizer" with no experience at this high level, elected? Our United Sates of America needs a president who is not a politician and has the capability of operating the presidency as a business. We don't need a president who is obligated to special interests.
Michael Whitfield
***
Obama is the real White House 'amateur'
I write in response to the recent column on the Chattanooga Times editorial page by Steve and Cokie Roberts, "No Place for Amateurs." Excuse me, but what do they think the left-winging liberals elected seven years ago, a total rookie who no one knew anything about, who still is a 'jv' and who doesn't have a clue how to handle Putin or his radical Islamic friends. He wants to let tens of thousands more Muslims into the USA so they can do to the rest of our country as they have done to Dearborn, Mich. If you don't know, check it out! The real 'jv' lives part of the time at 1600 Pennsylavania Avenue at our expense.
Ken Ogle, Cleveland, Tenn.
***
TVA cuts to solar wrong-headed move
Over the last few years, the Sierra Club and other environmental groups have repeatedly complained that TVA has reduced incentives and placed arbitrary caps on its solar programs.
Recently TVA announced a series of new cuts that slashed its solar program even further, virtually killing a growing solar industry in Tennessee. Dave Flessner's article "TVA Cutting Back on Solar Programs" cites a recent TVA study on the value of solar and says it was determined that TVA was paying much more for solar power than it was worth to the utility.
However, that same report also identified a number of values that accrue to the citizens of the valley, such as avoided costs of carbon, air and water pollution and economic development opportunities, but TVA didn't include them in the calculation. The proposed solar program cuts will be a bar to many individuals and businesses wanting to produce their own solar power. This is a terrible message to send right before the Paris climate talks when the world desperately needs dynamic growth of clean energy.
Mary Mastin
***
TVA solar decision better for ratepayers
TVA recently announced that it is reducing the premium paid for solar-generated power. It's about time, as there's no reason for average ratepayers to have to pay more for their electricity so that a few can make a profit by installing solar panels.
I'm not against clean solar power, but solar farms should be owned by the utility companies (same as a power plant) and all ratepayers should share in the cost.
Thank you, TVA, for recognizing that a program that benefits only a few is not the role of a utility company.
Charlie Fox, Signal Mountain