Corker should fight for child-only plans
On Tuesday’s front page, Sen. Bob Corker blasted the Health Care Act for creating problems for people in our state:
“Corker said the … reform package … led to all of Tennessee’s private health insurers dropping their child-only plans for individual coverage, pushing more people on to government-subsidized plans or leaving them without coverage.”
In addition, “BlueCross officials said they could not afford to absorb the expense of those who would disproportionately sign up for such plans with sick or injured children since the health care law no longer allows insurers to deny coverage because of pre-existing conditions.”
If Corker loved this state, he’d be drafting legislation to prevent BlueCross and the others from dropping their child-only policies. It’s documented that these companies are not spending all of our premiums on health care; they make massive profits without adding any health care to the system.
I’d love to see Sen. Corker on the front page saying he’s going to force those companies to insure children or rescind their business licenses. We’d be sure he was working for Tennessee citizens instead of the corporations.
ESSIE WOODS
BRUELL, M.D.
Windmill debate about injuring icon
The “Windstorm of debate,” windmills atop Lookout Mountain, is not a debate between the traditional arguments of “not-in-my backyard” factions versus a pretentious developer as so intensely framed by Pam Sohn in Friday’s (Oct. 1) front page article. It is simply a matter of disfiguring a Chattanooga icon and a historical treasure.
The debate is very clear; do we, the residents of Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain, really want to put such an eyesore atop our most renowned community asset? I think not.
Windmills are harmless, environmentally friendly sources of electric power, and although their costs and benefits are not justifiable in today’s market-driven economy, without government subsidies, I personally have no objection to their construction and operation.
In fact, I have several hundred acres in eastern Kentucky which are remote ridge tops similar to Lookout Mountain. I would welcome the opportunity to lease the property “in-my-backyard” as a site for a future windmill farm.
STEVEN A. HICKS
Put constituents first, Sen. Corker
Many thanks for your excellent editorial (Oct. 6) correcting the many misconceptions of Sen. (Bob) Corker’s understanding of the need and costs of the new health care bill.
It would be nice if he could understand and consider the needs of all his constituents and vote accordingly.
FRED VILAND
Chattanooga beats Atlanta by a mile
As a child of the ’60s, I loved and believed in this quote by Henry Grady. Atlanta was growing and shimmering in the sunset. “The Emerald City” of the South greeted you as your plane landed at Hartsfield.
I just returned from the most fabulous weekend in Chattanooga. Chattanooga in the ’60s was this blighted, ugly town north of Atlanta. Then some people decided to get together to create the “Chicago” of the South! It’s lovely, safe and clean. Their vision and cooperation created a mecca of fun, lively entertainment.
We could paddle the Tennessee River, ride bikes on the riverwalk, find art everywhere, watch families play in the parks, saunter through a wine festival on the walking bridge, watch children fly kites bordering the river, stroll safely from museum to pub to shop to restaurant until late at night.
OK, Atlanta? When did you get so far behind? When did all the bickering between city and suburbs take over the visionary leads? Why can’t we have large expanses of green spaces, clean and safe streets, and just throngs of happy people wandering about our brave and beautiful city? Is it because it isn’t so beautiful anymore or I am not so brave?
REBECCA W.
EMERSON
Decatur, Ga.
Manufacturing should be at home
With respect to a wind farm on Lookout Mountain (Times Free Press, Oct. 1), I say “get over it, people (objectors),” we can’t have it both ways, green and always pleasing to each of us.
There are homes, hospitals and offices next to train tracks and airports where noise can’t be kept out. To not see the windmills, don’t look.
I wonder what the objectors would say if they were told the electricity from those windmills would be sold to them at a 30 percent below grid price?
Much more important is the windmills would be built in Spain, meaning that once again expensive equipment, and essentially power, like oil, would be purchased abroad.
By sending our dollars overseas we “redistribute American’s wealth,” increasing the trade deficit and weakening America, now at a rate of $450 billion annually!
And, Americans remain off work!
Please understand, fellow Tennesseans and Georgians, we will not “get our country back” until we bring the manufacturing jobs home and stop spending billions overseas. To help erase the negative trade deficit, we must make those windmills at home!
Wouldn’t it be exciting to manufacture windmills in Chattanooga, like Volkswagens? Get the picture?
ROGER W. CATLIN
Today’s Democrats are not the same
A couple of days ago, I get a letter from a Democrat saying that the Republicans were not what they used to be.
I had to write him back to tell him that the Demos are not what they used to be, either.
Years ago, my dad told me and my brother that the Demos were the “working man’s friend” and that we should vote for them. And we did for a long time.
But if Daddy were still alive today, I believe he would change his mind. My daddy was an honest man.
In my way of thinking, today’s Democrats are just doing what they want to do (or what our president wants them to do) and won’t listen to “the working man.”
I know our president has a big job and is going to make mistakes, but God has blessed the U.S. all these years and a lot of young men and women gave their lives so that we could have the freedom we enjoy today and I hate to see it crumble.
“United we stand, divided we fall.” And remember: “We can’t take it with us.”
J. THURSTON COOKE
Soddy-Daisy
Perfect union not absurd ideal
Clinton was right. It depends on what your definition of “is” is. The same can be said of “absurd,” defined by Webster’s as “marked by an obvious lack of reason, common sense, proportion, or accord with accepted ideas.” A recent letter certainly fits that definition.
Most, if not all, tea party members and supporters believe in government, just not an all-encompassing, all-powerful one that liberal progressives do.
Many, myself included, are military veterans who swore an oath to “support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” The Constitution in its exquisite brevity established a republic of limited power, so that we may have a more perfect union. Support of that ideal is not absurd, nor is it anarchy. It is patriotism.
Another definition of absurd is “ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, or incongruous.” Facts are stubborn things. They are what they are.
JOHN C. MUNCIE