Jim Wooten

Responses to "VP picks, a classy lawyer, fried pies," @issue, July 25.

Back to the future in '08

I was amused to read that AJC columnist's Jim Wooten's first choice for Sen. McCain's vice presidential running mate is former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. As an avid Obama supporter, there is nothing I would rather see than bumper stickers and yard signs with the phrase "McCain-Bush in '08."

JAMES HOPE, Lilburn

Many in GOP favor tobacco tax

Jim Wooten accuses the "elite in academia and the media" of wanting to destroy the tobacco industry. If he checks the article on the opposite page ("Hike cigarette tax to fund state budget gap, save lives," @issue, July 25), he'll discover he forgot to include Republican state Rep. Ron Stephens, who is proposing a $1-per-pack cigarette tax increase, and 73 percent of Republicans polled regarding the proposed tax. He also wonders why they don't instead pick on manufacturers of coffee, beverages or automobile accessories. A simple answer might be that their products don't addict and kill people.

JIM SCHISLER, Atlanta

Smokers should pay for own ills

Rep. Ron Stephens is right about increasing the cigarette tax ("Hike cigarette tax to fund state budget gap, save lives," @issue, July 25). For instance, Georgia's Medicaid system alone pays out $537 million to treat tobacco-caused diseases and disabilities, but there is only $232 million coming in from tobacco taxes. Thus, $305 million is taken out of the general fund to pay tobacco-caused costs. Why? Many legislators won't vote for an increase in taxes because they pledged not to. They apparently would rather continue spending money taken from everyone's pocket, or close down services. Taxes on tobacco should pay the full bill for the diseases caused by its use. The cost of every cigarette-caused fire should also be paid for through the cigarette tax. Those who use should pay, and not everyone else. I would appreciate the governor supporting a cigarette tax increase. He did about five years ago, but the legislators raised it only 25 cents a pack, which was far from what was needed to make smokers financially responsible for their own tobacco-caused diseases.

D. GORDON DRAVES, East Point

Everyone entitled to photo ID can get one

Objecting to the photo ID to vote is absurd! If you go into the hospital or a new doctor's office, you will be asked for a valid photo ID. If you purchase something with a check or credit card, many times you will need a photo ID. If the poor, elderly and nondriving legal citizens can be picked up and taken to church, doctor, grocery and many other errands, they can be taken to a location to obtain the photo ID —- that is, if they are really interested and mentally alert enough to cast a vote. If they stayed home and didn't vote because of the photo required, that is their choice. Voting in the United States is for legal American citizens —- documentary proof should always be required.

BEVERLY MULLINS, Tiger

At least fill up plastic bags, please

A few days ago in a store, I bought just one item: a pen. This tiny object was handed to me in a full-size plastic bag. Such waste makes me angry. The same story is repeated at supermarkets. I always bring home too many bags of groceries that are half full and often contain just one item.

We complain and worry about plastic bags floating in the ocean or clogging landfills, but we could at least try to make some easy changes. If supermarkets would make a rule that plastic bags must be fully utilized, the problem could be cut down considerably. Of course, this is far from being a solution, but every little bit helps.

IRENE C. BRONI, Alpharetta

Electioneering and caller ID

With election year in full swing, my phone is ringing off the hook with calls for political support. I accept that candidates need not adhere to our "do-not-call" preferences. I do object to being unable to identify these calls via caller ID. For example, if a call were identified as coming from Tom Price, rather than "unknown," I might exercise my option not to pick up.

What has a politician to gain by aggravating voters with potentially unwelcomed calls? Do they imagine a constituency sitting around the dinner table wishing the phone would ring with an urgent recorded message? I urge candidates to insist their campaigns be identifiable via caller ID, just as though good manners really mattered.

CAROL ROECKLEIN, Marietta

Opposing minimum-wage hike is cruel

It's sad to see a professor of economics, Madeline Zavodny, oppose an increase in the minimum wage —- a wage she no doubt does not earn or attempt to live on ("Wage increase may backfire," @issue, July 22). How cruel is a society that saves nickels and dimes on the backs of the poorest when literally millions are spent on CEO packages, privileges and severance pay? I seriously doubt anyone believes these CEOs are worth that type of money. Sadly, her solution to opposing the minimum wage is to use another government program instead of allowing people to earn what they should. Does she truly believe that people want or want to be on another government program?

STEVE GHENT, Marietta