Free Press cartoon sums up problem
Truly amazing! The April 1 Free Press political cartoon "The Circle of Life" by Glenn McCoy acknowledges the relationship of big business to big government. The Koch brothers and their associates use their money to manipulate government to the benefit of big business - not just to limit government, as they say.
I know Republicans will say Democrats have big donors, too, but it is what they seek to do by contributing to a party that makes the Koch brothers troubling. Big business is the tail wagging the Republican dog. On The New York Times best-seller list is a truly scary book titled "Dark Money" by Jane Mayer. You'll find how scary conservative money is, what it seeks to do and how pervasive and deceitful it is.
David Bean
Chatsworth, Ga.
CSAS energy class thanks supporters
On behalf of my energy systems class, I would like to thank the Times Free Press for profiling us ("Bright ideas: Students apply classroom theories to hands-on problem solving").
When I'm asked how such a class is successful, I say it involves reaching out to the community for partnerships; community involvement is as important in education as ever before. The still-evolving vision for Chattanooga 2.0 highlights the needs of business and the greater community for a thriving future.
TVA's Solar in Schools program was instrumental in providing the funding to make the solar installation possible. Chattanooga State entered an arrangement so students could have the opportunity to receive credit for an electrical engineering class.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has sent experienced journeymen to work with students mastering basic residential wiring. The Mozilla Foundation's grant for microcontrollers in classrooms gave kids an opportunity to enrich their understanding of energy applications.
Numerous businesses provided free materials so students would do hands-on building. These reciprocal relationships between schools and the greater community are critical in preparing our students for a future Chattanooga.
Davis Mounger
Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences
Siedlecki would update office
The property assessor's election is a traditionally ignored race, but that's not what Hamilton County needs. In a job with such a steep learning curve, experience is essential. Mark Siedlecki's work as the founder of several successful technology start-ups makes him the most qualified candidate to tackle the technical issues the office faces: modernization, transparency and service for taxpayers.
Taxpayers deserve fair treatment, and that means creating an easier property assessment process with as much space for taxpayer input as possible. That means taxpayers should understand how their property is assessed and how to appeal if they feel their assessment isn't right. Taxpayers should be able to speak directly with the assessor's staff, and every interaction should be grounded in empathy. This is where Mark's campaign is distinguishable: His policies are about what his team is going to do, not just him. This shows a mindset already people-oriented, which is what a county assessor needs to be.
Hamilton County taxpayers deserve the best. We deserve an assessor who cares about serving us, not himself. That's why I hope on Aug. 4 Hamilton County can usher the 21st century into our assessor's office by voting for Mark Siedlecki.
Heather Murray