More Alzheimer’s funding is needed
At a cost of $236 billion a year, Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in the nation. Nearly one in every five Medicare dollars is spent on people with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. And, these costs will only increase as baby boomers age, soaring to more than $1 trillion in 2050.
Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S. and the only cause of death among the top 10 in the U.S. that cannot be prevented, cured or slowed.
In Tennessee, more than 110,000 people are currently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another dementia. Nearly 426,000 unpaid caregivers (primarily family members) provide more than 85 million hours of unpaid care.
As an Alzheimer’s Association volunteer, I have seen the effects of this disease first-hand. Please contact Rep. Chuck Fleischmann and ask him to increase Alzheimer’s research funding by at least $400 million in fiscal year 2017.
Bill Tobin
Apison, Tenn.
Love is the best object to carry
Recently, I was waiting to turn into Warner Park off Holtzclaw Avenue. Three young black boys, 7 or 8 years old, were walking down the railroad track. One had a football clasped to his chest; the others had balloons. But with them was a fellow I would guess would be a papaw like me. He was carrying a long, stout stick as he got the boys across the busy driveway. They responded to his every command. And I saw before me the solution to the problem of this generation of young folks. They were being shepherded by a man who loved them.
Michael Green
Cloudland, Ga.
Lynn Trent ‘pro in every respect’
I have been a member of the basketball officiating fraternity more than 55 years and am currently employed by the Southern Conference and the ACC as an observer of officials.
I first met Lynn Trent many years ago when I was assigned to work a game at UTC. Lynn was the timer. I have spoken with him often over the years. It is a SoCon policy that the “table crew” be present at the officials’ pre-game conference. They are required to be there 45 minutes before game time. There is a countdown clock in the officials’ dressing quarters, and at the precise moment, Lynn would lead the crew (the scorer, shot clock operator and videographer) up the stairs for the conference. Officials often remarked that the table crew at UTC was the very best. Lynn was one of the best timers I’ve seen. He was honest as the day is long and a pro in every respect.
On behalf of the Southern Conference, I offer my condolences to Lynn’s family. We need to remind ourselves he is in a better place. He was my friend, and I will miss him very much.
C.A. Dockins
Cleveland, Tenn.
License snag could have been foreseen
As a dog owner my entire life, I have prided myself on being a responsible pet owner.
When McKamey Animal Shelter took responsibility for issuing the Chattanooga city tags from the Humane Society, they were issued on a calendar basis. In November 2015, I purchased three licenses for 2016.
Then City Council members changed the policy to say a city tag must be purchased within 30 days after a pet’s rabies vaccination. Since my dogs are vaccinated in June, I had to buy another set of 2016 licenses. Because I follow the codes, I’ve been penalized by paying twice.
I called my councilman, Jerry Mitchell, and explained how those who follow the rules are being punished. He indicated the council didn’t take that situation in their review and would get back to me. That was several months ago, and I haven’t heard anything.
I cannot believe the council could not have looked at how this action affected all those who abide by the rules. I’m not made of money; $60 in one calendar year is a lot. I hope in the future whenever they decide to change something in the city’s codes, council members think how their actions will affect their constituents.
Laurie Shipley
People need right to bear cannons
As most people know, the Republican Party talks exhaustively about being the “strict constructionist” party of the Constitution.
It appears to me a “strict constructionist” must have the same frame of mind as our Founding Fathers. Take, for example, the Second Amendment, which provides, “the right of the people to bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Arms in the frame of mind of the writer, or writers, of the Second Amendment for the most part only included muzzle-loading, single-shot muskets, and pistols, knives and swords. It’s doubtful any of the Founding Fathers ever contemplated rapid-fire weapons such as the AK-15.
Oh, how forgetful of me, they did have cannons. So a cannon for everybody. One problem, though. In that time period, cannons could only be moved by people power or animal power. So to a strict construction of the Second Amendment, the right of the people to bear single-shot muskets and pistols, knives, and, of course, cannons cannot be infringed.
Archie Thurman
Seven reasons to vote Trump
Seven reasons I endorse Trump:
1. Trump’s new hats: They say “Never Hillary.”
2. The next president may nominate as many as four Supreme Court Justices. Trump said he would nominate judges on the order of Justice Scalia, who upheld our Constitution.
3. Trump said our veterans will be taken care of.
4. Trump said to the police, “I will have your backs.”
5. Trump is wise enough to not give the details on how he would do things. Quarterbacks do not give over their plays to the opposing team before the game.
6. Trump has parlayed a $1 million dollar loan 10,000 times to $10 billion. He spent far less than most of the 17 contenders and won. Perhaps, Trump can do similar magic to lessen our $19 trillion debt.
7. Trump literally wrote the book on making deals. I’m sure he will make better foreign deals than Obama and better domestic deals with Congress. (Legislation is nothing more than deals worked out between the members of Congress and the president.)
Dr. Tom Herzog
Put native plants along interstate
Would the highway department take an active role in planting along our interstate highways native plants that attract pollinators?
The monarch butterfly in particular would benefit from this effort. Mowing could be reduced to once a year to eliminate trees from growing. This would cut fuel costs.
This could start before, in and around, and after our welcome centers.
Laura Young
Efficient schools not always best
Goodbye, forever, Falling Water School. Goodbye, forever, good Hamilton County schools.
What will happen to Falling Water students? For years, they will be bused to an “efficient” school.
The “efficient” school will be much larger, much more crowded and have much larger classrooms with more students in them. “Efficient” like a factory. Check ’em out.
“Efficient” schools are where our students do not learn and haven’t learned for years.
Failing factory schools might be “efficient,” but they don’t make well-rounded minds, haven’t for years and won’t for years.
Our students wouldn’t be in factory schools if the $230 million in years of put-off school maintenance and the $900,000 a year the county commissioners hold for themselves had been used.
All the years of busing students to failing factory schools is money completely ignored by the “efficient” school board.
But busing is a very good way for little kids to learn bad tricks from bigger kids.
Our county commissioners and our school board members are sold on the failing factory schools, so are you going to vote for them?
Maybe developers like them. And the bus companies, for sure.
Stephen Nemecek