Where are jobs, tourist dollars?
For over 20 years, our local power structure has given millions of dollars to businesses in tax exemptions and infrastructure grants as incentives to bring more jobs to the area.
They have spent more millions on hotels, sports and tourist attractions, telling us that they bring in “revenue” and help us to grow.
If this is true, we should have zero unemployment and we would not have a budget crisis. So, where are all of the jobs and tourist dollars? Why do our taxes and fees go up every year?
As for “growth,” bigger is not always better. In fact, it can be lethal. Do we really want to become another Atlanta or Detroit? Would you be better off? Bigger cities have bigger problems and more taxes to contend with their problems.
Use your head. It all boils down to greed and “welfare for the rich.” It’s time to call a halt to this scam.
EDNA W. TAYLOR
All substances made of chemicals
“Environmentally friendly” is probably a good way to describe the cleaning solution mentioned in Saturday’s paper July 31 (Business section, page 1, “Greenshoots”). But the newspaper does a disservice to its readers by promulgating the notion that no chemicals have been added. The bulk of the cleaning product is water, a chemical that we cannot live without on this earth. Vinegar is a chemical, normally found as a 5 percent solution of acetic acid. All soap products and their additives are chemicals. “Better Things for Better Living … Through Chemistry” was DuPont’s slogan from 1935 until 1982. It is too bad that DuPont dropped the “Through Chemistry” part, because now many people have only negative associations with the words “chemical” and “chemistry.” Some substances are environmentally friendly and some are not, but all substances are made of chemicals.
JOHN BORDLEY
Professor of Chemistry
Sewanee: The University
of the South
GOP does nothing for working people
President Lincoln’s re-election, with Johnson as his running mate, was with the National Union Party, not Republican.
President Andrew Johnson was primarily impeached because “radical Republicans” (sound familiar) wanted him to punish all white Southerners, poor people included. He knew that the wealthy land baron slave owners had gotten the common people to fight for them via their slanderous propaganda. They had the politicians bought off, so that they pushed issues and seceded. Their main theme was “states’ rights,” but the only reason was slavery. Johnson, being from Tennessee, knew this first-hand. The slave owners themselves stayed on their plantations sipping tea, just as our GOP governors, senators, and Congress people are doing now!
And on it goes today. Republicans, with their tea bags and all their slanderous, divisive, lying propaganda ads and outlets (Fox Fake News and all the Limbaugh types), still get everyday working people to blindly vote for them. I am an independent, but as of now, and I am sure for the rest of my lifetime, there is only one choice – the Democratic Party. The Republican Party cares nothing for anyone but themselves and their “corporate master.'” They do nothing for everyday working people.
WALTER M. BENTON
Signal Mountain
Faint street lines hinder driving
Please help me get the street department to re-line the intersection of Fourth Street and Georgia Avenue. With so many streets converging at this place, the lines need to be marked clearly for better navigation.
JOY E. ADAMS
Governing bodies need adjustments
As per an article in your paper, Manny Rico closed a meeting of the City Council, yelling out that he didn’t have to listen to us. Unfortunately, that is the attitude of our president, our Congress, our state government and on down the line to our counties and cities.
Perhaps if our governing bodies adopted the constitutional mandate of “government by the people, of the people and for the people” we wouldn’t be in the shape we are in today.
At a recent City Council meeting, Councilman Jack Benson said he would listen only to the “enlightened people.” I’m wondering if he thought that the room full of citizens who gave up their leisure time at night to go down and do their civic duty were a bunch of dunces? Idiots? Dolts? What do our governing bodies really think about us citizens?
After listening to our City Council in Chattanooga, I guess we don’t have to wonder too very long.
JOY DUVAL
Don’t deny access to the Riverwalk
The Riverwalk is the crown jewel of all of our city’s outdoor attractions. The Riverwalk is also different from our other recreational amenities, as it spans 10 miles.
It is designed to be enjoyed by-the-mile, and also as a “destination” attraction, as most visitors to the Riverwalk want to make a round trip from the Chickamauga Dam to the waterfront, or vice-versa or enjoy a shorter round trip in-between.
I have run and biked on the Riverwalk regularly from the time it was under construction and have witnessed both extreme courtesy and extreme stupidity between pedestrians, bikers and even motorized carts. Choking off portions of the path will not change that behavior, but it will damage the quality of the asset and will cause it to be underutilized.
The focus in this current conversation about how to share the path safely should not be on individuals, on foot or on wheels. Rather, the focus should be on what the city and county need to do to manage the asset so that it continues to be available to all legitimate users for recreation and to promote tourism, healthy lifestyles and Chattanooga’s growing reputation as a best in class outdoor city.
A solution that results in some users being denied access is a failed solution.
MICHAEL MALLEN
Congress shows more arrogance
I am a voter in District 4. Since Rep. Lincoln Davis became our representative, I have written him several times about Social Security problems, the health care debates, the wars, etc.
At best, I get a generic letter saying thanks for writing. At worst, I get no answer at all.
I consider this not only disrespectful of his constituents but an arrogance that has been shown by Congress in recent years.
That is why there is a movement now to not re-elect an incumbent. Sooner, or later, they will finally wake up to the fact that they are working and being paid by the people they are supposed to represent.
We need a good independent party to balance the two major parties who vote against each other no matter how good the bill may be. That is what I am going to do; hopefully everyone will give this some serious thought.
JACK PINE
Dunlap, Tenn.
Deficit spending began in Congress
May it be known that budgets come from the Congress, not the White House. The party that controlled Congress since January 2007 is the Democratic Party.
They controlled the budget process for fiscal years 2008, 2009, as well as FY 2010 and 2011.
In the first year, they had to contend with George W. Bush which caused them to compromise on their spending.
For FY 2009, though, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Harry Reid bypassed President G.W. Bush entirely, passing resolutions to keep the government running until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the FY 2009 budget.
Looks like the deficit spending from FY 2007 until the present belongs to the Democrat-controlled Congress, not Bush.
That’s when Barack Obama’s deficit spending began.
RICHARD EDEN
Campaign signs create clutter
Am I the only one who finds the amount of campaign signs cluttering the roads disgusting and an eyesore to our Scenic City?
The entrance to the Election Commission on Amnicola looks like a slum neighborhood advertising yard sales!
Please, all you folks running for office – at least face the fact that anyone who would vote for you shouldn’t be voting because they see a name on one of an infinite number of cheap placards. They should at least know what you are lying about before deciding.
And Zach Wamp … wanting to cut off unemployment benefits for those who haven’t been about to “scratch and claw” their way to find a job when there are 200 applications for every one open? What an easy thing to say for a man born with a silver spoon sent to McCallie. If you’d had the opportunity to grow up being raised in a public school, I’m sure you’d hum to a different drummer.
One last thing. I’ve known Kenny Smith for 30 years and to my knowledge has always told it the way it is and should be. In other words, an honest man!
KEVIN LACEY
Harrison
East Ridge High is doing its part
Last Wednesday, I was asked by Bridge Refugee Services to take a Cuban family to East Ridge High School to register their son for ninth grade. Only here since June, the teenager spoke no English and approached the experience with trepidation.
When we walked in the school, we were pointed to “Interpretation Station.” There, an extremely friendly “English as Second Language” teacher greeted the family with open arms. She spoke Spanish and immediately put them at ease. The soccer coach stopped by the table and asked if Luis might want to play on the team in the spring.
While the family was filling out forms, I watched as a teacher greeted a parent who had gone to East Ridge and was now bringing her daughter. I watched teens run up to teachers, who greeted them with pats and smiles.
What a daunting task for our schools. How do you meet the needs of a boy from another world and at the same time welcome back those who grew up in the neighborhood? It seems to me that East Ridge High School is up to the task.
MARGARET NELSON
Lookout Mountain
Allow an opt-out for robo-calls
The more robo-calls I receive, the less likely I am to vote for you. However, I’ll be more than happy to vote for the person who promises to put an end, by law, to those annoying calls to my phone. Is there an opt-out number I can call?
BOB CARNEY
Ooltewah
Stop one-way train toward socialism
I don’t like what’s happening to our country. It’s being destroyed by President Obama and his liberal friends.
Apparently there is no one in the Democratic Party who will stand up and tell him no. I’m sure he threatens them with loss of jobs and anything else he can. It was quite obvious on the health care bill that threats and buyoffs turned the votes of the few Democrats who stood against the bill to vote in favor of it.
Might I remind those of you who changed your mind that this country was founded by brave men and women who suffered far worse threats and consequences against them and their families than you will ever have to endure.
But they stood for their beliefs and many died for them.
We still have the bright and brave among us who are like the original patriots. The liberals and socialists are taking this country down a destructible path because too many of us are laying back and thinking, “It’s not my problem.” Every American needs to be a patriot and do his or her part.
Please vote in November and save our children’s and grandchildren’s future. Let’s stop the one-way train to socialism now!
DEE POOL
Arizona’s law same as U.S. law
Why did the state of Arizona choose to pass an immigration law? Was it because the federal laws already in place were inadequate?
Well, since the contents of the Arizona law are basically identical to federal laws already in place the answer to this question has to be no.
Is it because the American people do not agree with federal laws?
Well, since over 60 percent (a number that grows daily) of the legal American population support Arizona’s “new” law (basically identical to federal laws) the answer to this question has to be no.
Why then a state law at all?
1) The state of Arizona requested numerous times that the federal government enforce its own laws – our laws that were put into place because a majority of the American people wanted them in place.
2) The federal government chose not to enforce our laws.
3) Arizona cannot enforce federal laws on its own.
4) Arizona can (by constitutional law) enforce its own state laws.
Arizona had to pass state legislation in order to provide for the enforcement of federal legislation.
Had the federal government followed the law, Arizona would not have had to pass a law of its own.
RICHARD W. ZIPSE
Canton, Ga.
Parking issue mars visit to the city
We really enjoyed reading your newspaper – it’s the best.
We loved visiting Chattanooga – you have a beautiful city.
We cut our visit short because we were ripped off by parking when we parked near the Delta Queen to eat dinner. When we returned, there was a citation including a penalty of $10 and threats of more if we didn’t pay up. (We had put the maximum amount into the kiosk.)
RICHARD
ROSENBERGER
Acworth, Ga.
Let God rule and punish
Lately a certain church leader has set aside a day to burn the Koran and has published a book describing Islam as being from the devil.
I am a Christian, first of all, but is this the way to settle things? Will this bring glory to the God that preacher worships?
A reverse situation took place in Judges 6:24-32. Gideon, who was a Jew and worshipped Jehovah (verse 24), was told by God to tear down the altar of the God worshipped in his city. Gideon did so. The men of the city were mad and demanded the death penalty for Gideon. Gideon’s father made a wise observation: if that god of the city was offended, let that god punish Gideon.
The same thing applies: if, as that preacher avows, Islam is from the devil, and an affront to his god, let God rule and punish. It is not up to us to judge. The best way to show that we are true Christians is by being loving to all people. “Each one (Jew, Christian, Moslem, and so forth), of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).
ROBIN HARRIS
Cleveland, Tenn.