Work together for effectiveness
We want a small-cost, effective government. Not spending all revenues in good times and raising taxes in bad. Government appears unconcerned about ineffective management. Examples:
Proposes pensioning an unqualified employee.
Desire to rehire the retiring police chief at a ridiculous salary.
“Passage” rework. Was design inadequate or construction oversight negligent?
Ineffective collection of stormwater fees and traffic violation fines.
“Hiring freeze” added 40 people.
Assured annexation communities immediate fire and police protection. Now a shortage.
City attorney’s pay and home insulation program fiascoes.
Saying “never underestimate the incompetence of government” seems appropriate.
We want a proactive City Council involved in continuous improvement. Council members could partner with city management to create improvement plans to review quarterly with the mayor and public. Council is then part of budget preparation and not surprised. Remember:
You get what you inspect, not expect.
Everybody’s responsibility equals nobody’s responsibility.
Worth doing, worth measuring and reporting.
We want the council and mayor working together for cost effectiveness — not a negotiated tax increase. It’s unacceptable for them to agree on a 30-40 cent tax escalation and say “job well done.”
BILLY R. SLAUGHTER
Hixson
Volunteers peerless for holiday work
On behalf of the flag crew in Ringgold, Ga., we would like to express our sincere thanks to all the volunteers who helped raise the flags — and take them down — for Memorial Day 2010. This year, more than 850 metal poles were placed in crosses, with flags affixed onsite, in memory of Catoosa County’s deceased veterans.
Special thanks are in order for the Ridgeland ROTC students who helped both days. The students were hard workers and very polite. Any of them could have been doing something for themselves, but they chose to help honor our country’s veterans. The school and the parents of these students should be very proud of their work ethic and respectful attitude.
One volunteer family came on Sunday (when flags were raised at the courthouse after 1890s Days) and also brought doughnuts for the workers.
Another special thanks to Mayor Ralph Barger, who works tirelessly throughout the year planning for the next flag-raising. We hope you’ll plan to help this fall as we raise flags once again in observance of Veterans Day. Thank you again, volunteers, for your help.
PETE PEDIGO
It’s no wonder parties are losing
A recent Associated Press article stated that political parties are losing their influence over disgruntled American voters. So what else is new on the political scene?
Of course Americans are losing their confidence in the two leading political parties.
With the likes of Obama, Pelosi, Reed, Palin, McCain, etc., what else could be expected. Our country is in danger of becoming a socialist state; overrun by illegal free-loading immigrants, $trillions in debt, and the so-called party leaders are gnashing their teeth and wringing their hands, uncomprehending how we stupid taxpayers could possibly vote them out of office come November.
These are the same members of Congress who stood and applauded a foreign dictator and American basher who had the unmitigated gall to spout in barely legible English that Arizona has passed a discriminatory immigration law and that America is responsible for Mexico’s drug problems and illegal guns — blatant example of arrogant stupidity addressing stupidity.
This taxpayer, for one, intends to vote against every incumbent in office regardless of party affiliation come November.
How could we possibly have a less efficient or more dishonest government with all new faces?
CHARLES DAVID
SLIGER
Shelbyville, Tenn.
Obama following and not leading
Our president is not a leader; he is a follower — a polls follower. The BP oil spill is 2 months old, and President Obama has been in Louisiana three times, but he has done nothing except talk about what he expects BP to do.
Why hasn’t he put the idled shrimp-boat fishermen to work skimming oil? They could have used the work two months ago!
And why hasn’t Mr. Obama pushed the environmental bureaucrats to OK building those barrier sand berms to protect the Louisiana wetlands? (Of course there may be adverse results of such berms, but won’t millions of gallons of crude oil be far worse?
Won’t inaction be worse than no action?
But then Mr. Obama hasn’t had any experience in actually running a business. His experience is in community organizing; his experience is working by the consensus of everyone else. We need a leader, not a follower.
GERALD WHITELY
Ringgold, Ga.
Internet regulation is more socialism
Your article, “AT&T blasts proposed FCC regulation” (June 5), mentions the April proposal by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski to bring broadband Internet providers under telecommunication regulation.
This is not surprising, as Mr. Genachowski is a Harvard Law School classmate of the president. The chairman was also a big fundraiser for Obama, raising $500,000 as an Obama “bundler,” according to The Manchurian President, written by Aaron Klein with Brenda J. Elliot.
Obama was recently quoted in news clips saying there “is too much information” today. With radio heavily regulated, the vast majority of print and cable media in Obama’s pocket, we need all the information we can get. FCC regulation of the Internet would give the socialists almost total control of information.
Along with Genachowski, Klein and Elliot point out that Obama’s regulatory czar, Cass Sunstein, “has been outspoken on the ‘media diversity’ and ‘redistribution’ of information agenda.” This is one more step toward total control of the nation. Socialism, possibly worse, looms if this very liberal government is allowed to stay in office. They must be voted out of office.
Remember in November.
HORTON HERRIN
Dalton, Ga.