Raise the minimum wage in Tennessee
When was the last time you stopped and asked what the cost of supporting one adult is in Tennessee? According to several studies, that cost is $10 per hour, yet Tennessee does not have a minimum wage, relying on the federal wage laws instead. The minimum wage is set at just $7.25 per hour. That is approximate $15,000 per year for an individual. With this wage, it is not feasible for single adults to support themselves, much less a family with children.
Many states have passed laws increasing the minimum wage to at least $10 per hour, with some reaching as high as $15 per hour. This would raise the yearly wage to a point where single adults could support their basic needs such as food and housing with a single full-time job. It would also allow a percentage of families to rise above the poverty level in Tennessee.
I think it is time we take a good look at increasing the minimum wage to help the families of Tennessee and let our government representatives know it is time for a raise in Tennessee.
Chasity Vandergriff
Sequatchie, Tenn.
A little bit of home a long way from home
Twenty-seven months ago, I climbed on an airplane in Atlanta and said goodbye to the South. A new job and life awaited in Portland, Ore. Alas, a little bit of Chattanooga has followed my way.
About two weeks ago, the first West Coast Cracker Barrel opened in Tualatin, Ore. Granted, it had been awhile but as an experienced Cracker Barrel eating person, I had expectations for my first customer experience.
Note: the Tualatin one is different because it is the first one I have ever been to with parking valet service. The hashbrown casserole was as expected. The sweet ice tea was proper. No other Southern accents around, but I knew to expect that. Finished my meal. Went to wash up. Note: There are separate restrooms for men and women. Alas, as one enters the ladies’ room, there it was. A big brown cow on a yellow sign. Mayfield. Ah, Chattanooga had followed me to Oregon.
Mitzi Yates
Protect fundamentals of city transformation
As Chattanooga celebrates 25 years of the Tennessee Aquarium as a catalyst for progress, I also note the passing of three more of Chattanooga’s notable leaders in the transformation of this city. Clifford Betts and Ruth Holmberg were – among their many other contributions – both distinguished members of Mayor Gene Roberts’ original Chattanooga Tree Commission, which began professional management of public trees here.
That was one of the foundational efforts in visible self-respect, along with sign control ordinances and controls on further destruction of our scenic hillsides and historic structures that helped Chattanooga become the appealing city we have today.
The Moses family’s 212 Market restaurant was a pioneer example of place-appropriate design for downtown. As a new generation guides Chattanooga, I hope they remember to maintain the foundations of its success: viable self-respect and place-appropriate urban design, just as a trashy, haphazard place is repellent, evidence of love and respect for place is attractive.
Ruth, Cliff and the Moses family knew that, just as Mayor Roberts and the Tennessee Aquarium and Plaza developers did.
W. Allen Miller
Hixson