Libraries make many contributions
On April 11-17, we observe National Library Week, celebrating the contributions to our community made each day by libraries, librarians and other library workers, and promoting the use and support of our libraries.
Libraries offer entertainment, skills development, resources for job searches, and opportunities for volunteering for people of all ages and backgrounds. Our library helps our community thrive!
Here are some things happening at our Public Library this week:
* On Sunday the Downtown branch hosts the Chattanooga Clarinet Choir;
* South Chattanooga will have preschool Story Hour on Monday and Thursday, highlighting special books to celebrate National Library Week;
* Northgate will celebrate spring at Tuesday’s Preschool Story Hour and Thursday’s Adventure Club;
* At Ooltewah/Collegedale’s Adventure Club on Wednesday, the children will help decorate the Story Room for the Summer Reading Program “Make a Splash — Read!”;
* Eastgate hosts the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra Wind Quintet on Saturday;
* Play tech games at Downtown’s Teen Stack on the weekend, or begin your genealogy search in the Local History and Genealogy Department.
* Volunteers are needed at all branches to assist in signing up participants for the Summer Reading Programs.
There is something for everyone, every day at your Public Library. Check it out.
KIM FAHS
Chairwoman
Friends of the Library
Greed and profit behind job losses
An editorial of March 22 asked: “How can we get more jobs?” The question should be, “Where did our jobs go?”
Jobs are still leaving faster then new ones can be created. How soon we forget! Eight years of Bush and 2009, over 10,000,000 jobs were lost to outsourcing and recession. Proof that less taxes and no hindrances is not the answer.
Greed entered and bottom line; profit was all that mattered!
LazyBoy, the largest employer in Rhea County, has outsourced jobs — another 300 go this spring. Whirlpool Corp. in Indiana is closing their plant with a loss of 1,100 jobs after taking $19,000,000 stimulus funds to create jobs.
How can this happen? This must be addressed.
Outrageous health care cost; insurance premiums and their dictating to us and doctors what we will do; pharmaceutical cost, advertising ($2.3 billion in 2008) and petroleum must also be addressed!
All of the above have no controls, so they do as they please, which borders on criminal!
The health care bill is a beginning point, and I applaud all who labored to bring it about. We must address all injustice.
KENNETH TRAVIS
Crossville, Tenn.
Pass Uganda act to aid recovery
I would like to thank Sen. Bob Corker, Sen. Lamar Alexander, and Rep. Zach Wamp for co-sponsoring the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act (HR 2478).
This legislation, which passed in the Senate earlier this month, will help stop the Lord’s Resistance Army, rescue child soldiers, and begin recovery and reconciliation in the war-affected communities.
After hearing of the 321 civilians killed and 250 people abducted by the LRA in December 2009, I am reminded of the urgency of getting this bill passed. I ask that the other Tennessee congressmen who have not yet co-sponsored the bill (Rep. John Tanner, Jim Cooper, Lincoln Davis, John Duncan, and Phil Roe) take a stand and support the legislation so that it can pass in the House as soon as possible.
For information about how we can help, come to “Move for Uganda” at Coolidge Park tomorrow where there will be a model African village, a 5k race, and a guest speaker from Uganda; details at www.moveforuganda.com. Working together, we can change the lives of thousands in Central Africa.
JOHN PARKHURST
Health reform is a tax increase
America does need health care reform, but not this.
It is a myth for anyone who believes you won’t be paying for the poor to be insured. You will through taxes. This bill was a tax increase. If you supported it, then congratulations, you taxed yourself. That’s OK because your tax dollars will be used to help the poor and those people will be the wealthiest in Heaven
Health care, however, must be the responsibility of each state and kept in each state. The states should help provide the most basic insurance to the poor and if you don’t want it that’s fine, but if you don’t have a real emergency then the emergency room should turn you away.
I do not trust Washington, D.C., to take care of me, and forcing states to put money into other states is unconstitutional.
Socialism is one step closer to communism, and how many Americans want that?
It is wrong that America can spend millions of dollars on wars and not take care of the poor. Americans should unite to take care of each other. I am a Republican and a Catholic, and it was Christ who said the (second) greatest commandment is “love thy neighbor.”
CHARLES DAVIDSON
Hixson