Stetson resignation calls for assessment
My husband and I decided to move here in 2010, in part, based on the caliber of the Hunter Museum. Having lived in several major and minor cities, always supporting the arts, we have been very active and supportive of the Hunter throughout Dan Stetson’s tenure. He has been an excellent executive director — passionate, intelligent and competent — growing the Hunter’s programs, outreach and positive impact on an increasingly diverse community. As such, I have questions about the wisdom of losing an arts leader like Dan Stetson. I urge the Hunter board and other community leaders to look inward and critically assess Chattanooga’s ability to develop, attract and retain high caliber people who are experts in their field, think broadly, generate new ideas and execute successful endeavors.
BRENDA BRICKHOUSE
Legislators should stick to business
I have a dream that our local legislative delegation will begin acting in the best interest of all its constituents, which includes Erlanger hospital and those it serves; that our local legislative delegation will get out of the business of treating Erlanger like a political football; that our local legislative delegation will cease to involve itself in hospital operations (and other matters on which it has no knowledge) and instead stick to whatever their respective expertise is; that our local legislative delegation will cease its veiled and not so veiled threats of retaliatory legislation when its constituents fail or refuse to act as the delegation desires; and finally (and perhaps most importantly), that our local legislative delegation will begin to “police its own” by ensuring that Bo Watson does not continue to violate state ethics rules by speaking on behalf of the delegation on issues involving Erlanger, given his actual conflict of interest as an employee — and financial beneficiary — of Erlanger’s competitor.