I have worked in downtown Chattanooga for almost 40 years. I watched during the 1980s as the retail here closed, most of the restaurants closed and remember when there were few hotels. Downtown shut down at 6 p.m.
We have changed a lot. We have many restaurants, hotels and visitors. But we have lots of vacant office space, and much of the center city has dirty sidewalks, trash, graffiti and poor landscaping. Frankly, it is somewhat embarrassing.
The city cannot maintain this area more than it does and not do the same thing all over the city, which it cannot afford. I was a bit dubious as were most of the folks were when we were asked to serve on a committee to look at forming a business improvement district. After spending a year on this, the whole group was convinced that this is the thing to do. I have visited BID areas in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville, and it has convinced me even more.
We as property owners are paying for this with our own money. Since we are paying for it, we think we need a voice on the governance of it.
This will benefit downtown workers, visitors to our businesses and restaurants, visitors to our community, and help fill up some of that vacant office space and some vacant storefronts. It is necessary and has been proven to work in more than 2,000 communities around the country.
I urge our City Council to vote yes next week.
Keith Sanford, president and CEO Tennessee Aquarium, Chairman, Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
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Voting GOP in 2020 will be act of bigotry
I have seen some people recently refer to the United States as a “Christian nation.” Actually, America guarantees freedom of religion, as stated in the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. George Washington expressed this ideal when he wrote a public letter to members of a synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1790.
Thus all loyal Americans should respect people of other religions, just as we respect people of a different race, ethnic origin or political party from our own. Anyone who fails to do this is not living up to the vision of our Founding Fathers to guarantee liberty and justice for all.
Unfortunately, our current president is not honoring this vision, and most of the Republicans in Congress are refusing to take any action to criticize him for his blatant bigotry. Thus every vote for a Republican in 2020 will be a vote against the longstanding ideals of our nation.
Allen Chesney
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Merge McKamey, HES to better serve animals
At last Tuesday’s JFK Club meeting, Helen Burns Sharp cited coordination between the Humane Educational Society and the McKamey Center as a means of preserving tax dollars. A few days earlier Ron Littlefield called for a merger of the two institutions that would reduce operating costs and end the competition for donor dollars.
We should listen to these thoughtful, fiscally responsible local leaders. HES hasn’t broken ground for its new facility and is searching for a new executive director. Meanwhile, McKamey is preparing for a $2 million expansion that will increase its size by 50%.
The time is ripe. Let’s make McKamey our one professionally-staffed and well-financed animal care center.
Carolyn Mitchell