Parking situation at UTC trying
As a senior at UTC, I’d like to address my concern with the parking on campus, or should I say lack of parking.
I have a general parking pass that I paid $90 for and struggle each day to find a parking space.
After talking to several other students, I know there are many concerns regarding the lack of parking.
Each morning, I leave my apartment in a great mood looking forward to class, but end up driving around from lot to lot for over half an hour ending up in a terrible mood and late to class.
I recently began parking in a general lot beside Engel Stadium and riding a shuttle bus to campus. I find it ridiculous to pay for a parking pass and have to park in a lot that is a mile away from campus. Not to mention that many students have night class and the CARTA stops its circulation at 5:30.
If there are over 10,000 students plus faculty, why would you oversell passes knowing that there are only 6,000 parking spaces? I know I am not the only one concerned with the parking situation at UTC.
ALICIA DUNCAN
Privett, Skiles watch tax dollars
Commissioners Bob Privett and David Skiles have been very conservative with our tax dollars. This year Privett and Skiles helped to combine jobs and retire five employees in our city. This saved us, the taxpayers, $200,000.
They also voted no on property tax increase.
Hamilton County was also forced to provide the SRO officer for Soddy-Daisy schools due to their recommendations, which saved an additional $50,000. During this time of recession, I feel it is more important than ever that money is not given away unnecessarily. Maybe I should have said thrown away.
DOYLE PENNEY
Soddy-Daisy
There’s no need for a debate
John Wolfe is a die-hard liberal. His entire political views have been that of a “blazing” liberal. Chuck Fleisch-mann is a conservative. Why would a debate prove anything? If Wolfe were a blue dog, Chuck would debate. However, there is no need for a debate.
Why did Rep. Zach Wamp not debate Wolfe? He knew the differences and saw no need to debate.
The choice is clear. If you want the Democrats to continue their wasteful ways, vote for Wolfe. If you want to bring back trust and responsibility to Congress, vote for Chuck.
DENIS COLLINS
Cleveland, Tenn.
Alcohol by drink would aid Rhea
For the first time in history, the voters in Dayton, Graysville and Spring City will have a choice to vote for or against “Consumption of Alcohol on the Premises.” Restaurants must have at least seating for 75, and over 50 percent of sales must be for food.
The restaurants you now have will have a choice to serve alcohol by the drink. Also, the Tri-Cities will have the potential to have some franchise restaurants. Many more jobs would be available. For example, Applebee’s employs 65 people.
A lot of revenue for the Tri-Cities and Rhea County would be created. This would keep more money in the cities as well as the county. People would come up from the south, down from the north, as well as over the mountain and across the river to Rhea County.
Jesus and his disciples drank wine at the Last Supper; let the people have a choice also. There were a lot of people from the Tri-Cities who helped put this on the ballot for you to have a choice.
I encourage you to vote for “Consumption of Alcohol on the Premises.”
ROGER JAQUETTE
Dayton, Tenn.
Re-elect Pierce in Red Bank
I am writing to encourage citizens to re-elect Floy Pierce as their commissioner. During her tenure with Red Bank, she has worked diligently to keep taxes as low as possible and make Red Bank attractive and the best possible place to live.
During her eight years on the commission, the city has seen the completion of the Southend Streetscape that has brought new business to that area, along with the new park in the White Oak area, the building of the community center and the purchase of the much-needed vehicles for the police, public works, fire and the sanitation departments.
As a former employee, I worked with Floy as a businesswoman, a citizen and finally as a commissioner and have found her to be honest and ethical in all her decisions. I urge the voters of Red Bank to re-elect Floy Pierce as commissioner.
CAROLYN LEWIS
Retired
Finance Director/
City Recorder
Soddy-Daisy
Candidates must change views
I helped my sister when she was dying from lung cancer, something she got from smoking legal cigarettes.
Marijuana not only doubled the time she had, she was supposed to live nine months and she lived 18, but it increased the quality of her life very substantially.
I just had a friend pass from bowel cancer, and hemp oil therapy helped him considerably and extended his time with us.
When you are facing death and only have a limited number of months left, the quality of those months is a very precious thing.
Medical marijuana is an easy target for a gubernatorial candidate to use to show his toughness on drugs. During the debate, Mike McWherter even disparaged medical marijuana and the “so-called” help users of it receive.
No legal drug gives the kind of relief and appetite marijuana gives a person. If someone never feels good, their will to live is gone and they die much more quickly.
To disparage marijuana because it makes even a very sick person feel good is just ignorant. To deny suffering people medicine because of an ideological hang-up is cruel.
I will not vote for either candidate unless they change this position.
DAVID NAZAR
Tap into resource with taxes for rich
Garrett Gruener’s commentary (Perspective section, Sept. 26) stated that he, a rich person, would do fine financially if taxed at a higher rate.
Using math, look at the specifics of someone earning $250,000 per year. With 244 workdays, that person makes $1,000 per day. If one-fourth of that had to go toward taxes, our person brings home $750 per day! Eight or nine days pay would provide ample housing, transportation, food, clothing and utilities for four people. Wow!
That leaves 13 paydays each month (nearly $10,000) for frills. Sympathy for rich folks? Not when many Americans would be thrilled to have 750 take-home dollars each week.
Gruener spelled out three truths of taxing our rich: 1) the rich can easily afford more taxes; 2) they are not currently boosting the economy; 3) the U.S.A. could refill the coffers for badly needed infrastructure that we all depend upon (and put jobs into communities).
Why not tap into a huge resource, which is sitting idle right now? Allowing the Bush tax cuts (for the top 2 percent) to lapse would be a boon for our nation. And just think, instead of whining, the rich could feel a sense of patriotism!
ANNE GARRAD GRINDLE
Sewanee, Tenn.
Make sure fingers don’t point back
Now the can of worms has been opened and the personal e-mails of one person have been publicized to our view. If the rest of us had our e-mails published, you can imagine the chagrin of many.
We can beat ourselves up all our lives for a mistake we’ve made, a bad choice, a bad act, maybe something we’ve said that wasn’t exactly true. But it takes a strong person to admit he/she did indeed make a mistake then learn from that mistake and become a stronger, better person for the future.
Does a mistake we’ve made make null and void all the good things someone else with the same family name has contributed? A resounding “no.”
As we point one finger at someone else, four fingers are pointing back to ourselves. Do we make sure the same things are not happening before our e-mails become public?
JUANITA HAMIL
Ooltewah