Profits trump kids in Bradley
Regarding a Nov. 23 news story, I find it ironic that LaFayette High School will have a mercury cleanup for 10 milliliters while here in Bradley County Olin Chemical Co. releases 1,200 pounds a year, has airborne mercury outside the plant six times what EPA considers safe, and is within two miles of two county schools.
Clearly the health of our children is secondary to corporate profits.
SHERRY NEIDICH
Charleston, Tenn.
Don’t let TVA set its own pay
The directors of TVA have gone off the deep end by allowing the people who work for us to set their own salaries and bonuses.
These salaries and bonuses are obscene in a good economy but plain stupid in today’s economy. Why should anyone in government make more than our president?
I sure hope the salary freeze the president is trying to put into effect will apply to this bunch because they are out of hand. It seems no one, even Congress, has any control over their spending or the rates TVA charges that we all have to pay for.
Someone should take these people for a drive through the world the rest of us have to live in.
KEITH BALLEW
Copperhill, Tenn.
Police, shoppers did a good job
A big thank you to the good Samaritans and Chattanooga police officers who came to my aid when my purse was stolen in the Target parking lot on Black Friday.
Thank you to those who took the time to call 911, stayed with my daughters and me as we waited for the police to come, and to Kendall, Kim and Jennifer, who bravely obtained the tag number and location of the getaway car, and found my discarded purse and brought it back to me.
You are heroes in my book and helped make Hixson/Chattanooga a safer place by getting a criminal off the street.
Thank you to the police for a speedy response. You all were great!
DONNA VanDEVANDER
Corker not for the people
I thought Sen. Bob Corker was elected by the people and was to be for the people.
But it seems I was wrong. Could the $50 million he has accumulated influence him to want to keep the people’s representatives (Auto Workers Union) out of the VW plant?
I should imagine it could influence who the people want to represent them in the Senate next time.
JACK MARTIN
GOP moves aid only the rich
It seems to me that our Republican senators are only concerned with their rich friends.
Continue tax cuts for millionaires and at the same time cut off those unemployed from benefits necessary to live.
ROGER THOMPSON
Tullahoma, Tenn.
‘Airport security’ ignores criminals
Crime involves criminals and their victims. We expect law to identify and punish the criminals.
Our “airport security” identifies and punishes their victims, ignoring the criminals.
PRIS RUSSELL
Cleveland, Tenn.
Bravo to Obama for drilling ban
This is in response to the AP article, “Citing BP spill, Obama rejects East Coast oil drilling,” that was printed Thursday. I would like to show my support for the Obama administration for making the decision to not expand offshore drilling to the eastern Gulf of Mexico or to the East Coast. I am glad that the administration came around after the horrible BP oil spill that we all saw this summer.
I vacation several times a year to a family friend’s beach house in Dauphin Island, Ala., so I don’t want to see our beaches and oceans become degraded by any more oil spills. I would love to see our ways change so that we do not cause damage to our beloved beaches. We need to get away from our dependence on oil and move toward something more along the lines of offshore “wind farms.”
I believe that we the people should put pressure on Congress and ask them to make his decision everlasting. One step that others can take with me is to urge Sen. Alexander to show his support for this new offshore drilling ban.
I am thankful for organizations that helped with this victory such as Oceana.
ELIZABETH SOUTHALL
Extending benefits will aid economy
The Republicans seem to value tax cuts for the wealthy above all else. Extensions for unemployed workers who are still suffering the effects of disastrous Republican policies that created this recession must be paid for, but tax cuts for people who make millions a year are not facing such a burden.
If you really want to help our economy, not to mention struggling families dealing with this economic crisis, it is obvious that the single best thing we could do is extend unemployment benefits so we don’t have another wave of foreclosures. Unemployment benefits will go right into the economy and are the very best stimulus possible.
Keeping taxes low for people who obviously are not desperate will not have much of a positive impact on our economy, nor is it reasonable to do such while forcing our unemployed workers out of their homes and into poverty. It is obvious what Republican values are: Not balancing the budget, not helping working people, but simply helping the wealthy and corporations.
DAVID NAZAR
Greed of rich not in best interests
Here are some statistics.
1. The top 1 percent of American earners took 23.5 percent of the pre-tax money in 2007.
2. From 2002 to 2007 the pre-tax income of that 1 percent rose 10 percent each year. At the same time pre-tax income for middle America went down and the poverty rate increased.
3. Extending the tax cuts for these rich would cost our country $700 billion (over 10 years). Do you see anything unfair about these numbers?
Politicians (Democrats and Republicans) receive lots of money from the rich, so the politicians will vote to extend tax cuts explaining the extra money will be invested to create jobs. This isn’t happening now. Why would anything change with the extension? The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office ranked this fix number 11 out of 11 possible policy options for increasing employment.
Stand up to the super rich and hope they’ll realize their greed isn’t in our country’s best interest. At what point do you have enough money? Would you miss a few thousand dollars when you make millions? I plead for you rich folks who agree with me to pull together and speak out for doing the right thing for our country. And to others, please speak out for an end to such greed.
WADENE BARTOO
Officer’s honesty sets good example
Last week, I went to the bank to cash a check of a rather large sum. I put the envelope containing the cash in my pocket and proceeded to leave the bank. Unbeknownst to me, the envelope with all of my money fell out of my pocket and onto the ground. Luckily for me, Officer Sloan Rankhorn found my money, went into the bank and attempted to locate me.
I cannot even begin to tell you what a blessing it is to have Officer Rankhorn as a representative of the Chattanooga Police Department. He found me, returned my money, and would not take a reward of any kind. Officer Rankhorn exemplifies the honest, selfless behavior that tends to be lost this day and age. He exudes the character, integrity and conduct becoming an officer, and most importantly, a human being. I will always be grateful for his service and honesty.
DONNIE RODDY
Hixson