‘Activist judges’ rule high court
The latest “Supreme Court ruling” to allow unlimited corporate spending was just another delve into eliminating democracy in these United States! Greedy corporations will now be able to get whomever they want “elected.” It was bad enough with “W” being “anointed” by this lifetime appointed gang. I will never forget “stop the count, stop the count,” which ended Al Gore from becoming the duly elected president (no 9/11 attacks, no Afghanistan — Iraq wars, no recession)!
Years ago, I thought judges would actually follow the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law. No more; this gang writes anything to “defend” their decisions.
The main part of this group was appointed by Reagan/Bush/Bush/Cheney. The GOP has always been screaming “activist judges.” There has never been such “activist judges” as the group now installed as the “Supreme Court.” The GOP politicians are “owned” by the greedy corporations.
Thousands of truths go in and out the ears of so-called “conservatives.” But the constant lies from the right-wing “fake new” pundits will spread like wildfire throughout their base as if it were absolute fact!
A recent Republican National Committee presentation shows the use of fear, etc., as effective fundraising tools (as always)!
WALTER M. BENTON
Signal Mountain
Water company ignores problems
What is the water company doing? For months we have known the main pipe on the bluff of Lookout Mountain has been leaking. I was told by the project manager that Tennessee-American Water Co. has known for nine years that the pipe desperately needed to be replaced. Part of East Brow Road is closed for repairs to be made. When the weather got really cold, the “leak” was called the “Lookout Mountain Glacier” because there was so much runoff.
Now I hear that the in-ground box that houses the controls to turn off the water are so corroded they cannot be used. A box with new controls will have to be installed. If the pipe burst tomorrow, there would be no way to prevent a disaster.
Is this the way the water company plans for the future and maintains its necessary equipment? This is the same company that installed a line to Ruby Falls several years ago that completely changed the runoff patterns down the side. Water now streams across Scenic Highway where it never did before.
Meanwhile, our water bill is double for stormwater runoff. Imagine the charge to customers if such long neglect can’t be fixed in time!
PEGGY CURTIS LANEY
Lookout Mountain
Cures for a stuck Toyota gas pedal
You have all reported the trouble of having your Toyota gas pedal stick.
But I have yet to hear what the driver could do about it.
Gas pedal sticks? Shift to neutral! If you don’t, your brakes may or may not be able to overcome the motor and slow you down.
If you do, your motor will race, but you will be coasting. If you leave your motor race, you will still have power brakes to help you stop at a safe place. If you turn it off, you will have to apply several times the brake pressure at best, and I understand some older vehicles don’t have any brakes if the motor is not running.
Brakes fail? Use parking brake! (Used to be called “emergency brake”).
My brakes failed once, and I crashed right into a convenience store (literally). I pondered for months what I should have done. Finally, the parking brake came to mind.
If I had thought about this in a second, rather than months, this could have been avoided. Most parking brakes are an independent system that work just as easy if the motor is not on.
DR. TOM HERZOG
Let’s repair health care, not replace it
Let’s apply the current trend of repair rather than replace to our health care.
We have the elderly covered by Medicare. We have the financially burdened covered by Medicaid. We have the pre-existing conditions covered. It is called Guaranteed Issue. Let’s put our resources toward fixing what we have.
It is certainly cheaper and usually better once all the kinks are ironed.
MARGARET SCOTT
Lakesite, Tenn.
Government takes free breakfasts
Did I hear right: the Tennessee government is going to tax the free breakfast offer to hotel guests?
There goes breakfast. Remember back in the late ’50s and early ’60s when the minimum wage caused all our gas station attendants to lose their jobs. Now we are all self-serve.
Hotels are like any other business. They need a profit. If what I heard is correct, all the retirees who have slaved for the government and employers, who can finally travel, will no longer have a free breakfast. Thanks to our greedy government!
PAULETTE
ANDERSON
Mayor and council part of problem
Just so we understand, the mayor and the Chattanooga City Council provide VW with tax incentives and guaranteed loans, but now they can’t balance the city budget and their answer is to raise our property taxes?
Congratulations on being part of the problem.
ANDY GURLEY
Cable supplies music of choice
In regard to the letter about the radio stations not playing good music.
I totally agree. Every time I found a station I liked, they went rock. When I complained to the stations, their attitude has been, turn it off.
We did just that. Our cable company has a package of music and the choice is anything from opera to rap. We play uninterrupted music all day, of our choice. In the car, we play CDs that we enjoy. It is wonderful.
Not everyone in the world enjoys rock/rap music and it is sad that is all we have. We seniors have the buying power, but it seems everything from clothes to music is geared to the very young.
I recommend checking with your cable/satellite company. It is worth every dollar.
ELSIE KEITH
LaFayette, Ga.
Now is the time for health reform
A recent national health care study states that spending on health care increased to $8,047 per person per year and is projected to possibly double by 2019! This is outrageous!
For those who are healthy, it means they (we) are paying enormous amounts for those who have no health care coverage through bloated billing and overcharges on our own care. This can lead to debt for more families and the nation.
We are very close to passing real health care reform, and this is not a problem that we can put off any longer. I am firmly supportive of passing the current health care reform bill and then we will at least have a starting point for further discussion and fine-tuning.
MARCIA MILLER
Dunlap, Tenn.
Make health care a winner for nation
Not only is the health care in our country increasingly unaffordable for many, but we continue to slide downhill compared to the health care available in other countries.
Costs continue to skyrocket and availability diminishes while politicians continue to play ” re-elect me” football.
Social Security is a winner. Medicare is a winner. Health care could be a winner, too, if we stop allowing greedy insurance companies to rule the day.
RICHARD MILLER
Dunlap, Tenn.