A nasty welcome to Piedmont Park

Without question, the city's positioning of new automated toilets at the Charles Allen gate to Piedmont Park might be the worst aesthetic decision ever made. Nothing says, "Welcome to Piedmont Park" like a nasty public toilet. And the structure is ugly on top of that.

World-class city? World-class parks? Not even close. Shame!

JOHN BROWN, Atlanta

Congress: Sheer idiocy on steroids

How many more years and taxpayer dollars does Congress intend to squander investigating something we already know: Highly paid professional athletes take drugs. Congress needs to pay less attention to athletics and more to earning back the trust and respect of the American people.

GEOFF KNAFOU, Buford

Grandstanding, not real tax reform

In an obvious attempt to bolster their future campaigns for governor, House Speaker Glenn Richardson and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle have sponsored or are supporting property tax reform legislation —- HR 900 for Richardson and SR 796 for Cagle.

Some reforms may be necessary; however, a rush to pass legislation for the purpose of garnering votes is not responsible representation. Approximately 20 states have enacted some type of property-tax-limiting legislation, and in many cases this legislation has had substantial unintended negative effects. Our representatives should draft legislation that will accomplish its purpose rather than race for bragging rights attempting to enact a solution that is worse than the problem.

PAUL MILLER, Suwanee

Tobacco settlement: Responses to ''Low funding, more smokers,'' Page One, Feb. 8

Funding cuts will hurt badly

I was very happy to see the article "Low funding, more smokers." We do not have the "political will and social commitment" mentioned by the CDC scientist [to invest in effective anti-smoking programs].

In the past, the Fulton County HEART Coalition has received tobacco settlement funds to conduct youth peer awareness campaigns, promote the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line, work with tobacco-related-cancer survivors in presentations to youth, conduct a tobacco-free youth summit, and implement Fulton County media campaigns. Since 2005, these funds are no longer available.

Georgia is below the national average in adult smoking. Without the necessary funding, we'll return to adult smoking rates above the national average.

VINCENT VADIEGRIFF

Vadiegriff is chairman of HEART (Health, Education, Awareness, and Research on Tobacco) Coalition, Atlanta.

Inappropriate spending galls

It is infuriating that, after years of litigation and final settlement with the tobacco companies, money allocated to states (in this instance, Georgia) for the treatment of nicotine addiction is scarcely being spent for its intended use.

Tobacco companies have a huge responsibility for the deaths of many, but for them to have to "pay up" and then the monies be inappropriately spent is unbelievable. It has been reported that some states have even used the money for the development of golf courses and other ridiculous projects.

Having been a smoker (I painfully quit many years ago), I know the torment of addiction to this terrible "drug." Many will die without help, and to learn that most of this money is being spent on such projects is an outrage.

PATRICIA MILAM, Atlanta