Focus on debt percentage growth and more letters to the editors

Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor

Focus on debt percentage growth

The recent writer who prefers a Subaru to the amount of the increase in the national debt during Obama's term in office unfortunately has tunnel vision. He focused on the dollar amount of the increase in the debt rather than the percentage of the increase.

The national debt was increased by about 85 percent under Obama, which comports with the Subaru fan's figures. The following are the approximate percentages of the increase of the national debt under other recent presidents: Reagan, 180 percent; W., 90 percent; H.W., 55 percent (4 years); and Clinton, 35 percent.

I think it is more important to focus on the percentage of the increase in the debt rather than the amount of the increase. But who wouldn't rather have a car than an increase in the amount of the national debt? It's like asking if you'd prefer an ice cream cone or a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

Donald Strickland, Signal Mountain

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Keep Jerry Mitchell on City Council

I've lived at the same home in North Chattanooga for 42 years. Never have I seen the kind of residential building going on at present.

I was very concerned with the development behind my home on Sharon Circle and contacted Jerry Mitchell, District 2 councilman, to discuss the situation. He was very knowledgeable to what the plans were and helped ease my concerns considerably.

He's aware of the needs of the citizens of District 2, and we need to keep him on the Council.

Dan LaGraff

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Sound conclusions need facts, logic

Today, in national and world affairs, volume and repetition dominate facts and logic. Using facts to support logic leads to strong arguments and sound conclusions.

An argument fails when the facts are incorrect or are used improperly. If facts are known and substantiated, the logic may fail because of logical fallacies.

Irrelevant appeals are a subset of fallacies and are logic killers; all these may apply to the current administration.

The appeal to authority means someone who has knowledge on a subject must be right because that's his expertise. History is littered with hubristic leaders and authorities who were proven wrong and suffered consequences.

The appeal to tradition is the comfort food of logical thought. Claims of making something great again by retreating to the past but ignoring current realities fits here.

The appeal to novelty is the opposite of tradition. At some point, every idea or person was new, but that didn't guarantee success.

And the appeal to wealth is perhaps the most garish of fallacies. When wealth is an overly valued, those who have it must be correct.

We need to take a good look at what passes for facts and logic, then make sound conclusions.

Peter Steyn

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Pat Benson offers District 9 change

Pat Benson Jr. has fresh ideas on how our city government can help make Chattanooga a safer and better place to live. His nine-point plan covers most of Chattanooga's needs.

The children of our city need to be safe whether riding a school bus or playing in their homes. The present councilman has not found a way to make our community safe for our children.

Mr. Benson is my personal friend, lives in my neighborhood and wants to use his knowledge and experience to create a safer community for our children. Vote for change and a better Chattanooga.

William Wright

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