READERS WRITE

Officials should stop social ill

Jim Wooten’s column (“Sears’ charge on social ill should be cheered,” @issue, Nov. 25) should be sent to every elected official nationwide, suggesting they attach it to their mirrors to be reminded daily that any legislation they pass will be meaningless until this “showstopper” —- children born into single-family homes —- is corrected. No nation has ever survived such destruction of the traditional basic family unit as this. Elected leaders delude themselves if they think otherwise.

In 1996, the leaders of my church issued “The Family, a Proclamation to the World.” In it they clarified, among other pertinent clarifications, “The family is ordained of God. Marriage between a husband and wife is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor their marital vows with complete fidelity.”

Hopefully, Georgia Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears can seriously impact this nation-destroying issue. Somebody needs to.

DONALD S. CONKEY, Woodstock

Cost-cutting auto industry’s answer

So Congress wants a “plan” from the automobile manufacturers! What’s so tough about this? Ask any housewife-mother, or check with small, individually owned businesses, and Congress will get a straight answer.

The housewife-mother will surely say, “Look, I’ve got four kids and a husband to feed. We’ll just cut back on what we buy, eat less expensive food and stay away from costly entertainment.” Ask the small-business owner and he’ll say, “I figure out our costs, sit down and go over the ones we can reduce or cut altogether. Then we explain it to our employees so they will understand and all of us work together.”

Reducing costs, both internally and externally, won’t be easy. The auto executives must start with themselves and go on down the line to union workers, as well as retirees. If necessary, file Chapter 11 bankruptcy and start from scratch. Overhead and cost-cutting are the only answers in competing with foreign manufacturers. To do less comes to the sad conclusion that everybody associated with the automobile industry has to go along or they might be out of a job, a pension and other benefits.

DENTON HARRIS, Atlanta

Tucker’s April Fools’ joke?

Please tell me that Cynthia Tucker’s column “Obama’s win a nightmare for al-Qaida,” (@issue, Nov. 23) was scheduled to be in the AJC on April Fools’ Day 2009. The “opinions” are nothing if not a joke —- there is no factual basis for any of her “off-this-planet” remarks. This is probably the most ridiculous piece, beginning to end, from her pen, typewriter, keyboard —- or whatever is used —- that we have ever read. April Fools’ —- let us hope so.

LEE LINDSEY, Johns Creek

Depreciation change could help

This bailout game is really getting out of control. Now Congress is salivating over the prospect of spending our way out of this recession. A much simpler and almost immediate way to solve the lack of economic growth would be to temporarily change IRS rules regarding depreciation for perhaps a year or two. A simple change in the tax code, to allow businesses to depreciate all capital expenditures the first year rather than requiring them to capitalize and depreciate over many years, would fuel expansion like a blowtorch. Businesses large and small would be highly motivated to build new factories, retool and acquire new cars, trucks and computers now because of the tax savings. (Tax avoidance is a huge motivator to the businessman.) This would save the auto industry and the building trades almost immediately and tax revenues would soar as business recalled laid-off workers and hired anew. But alas, some would call this a tax cut for the rich.

EARL HIDER, Snellville

So much for quiet hikes in the ‘wilderness’

U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Savannah) cannot leave Cumberland Island alone (“Disputed tours coming to island where JFK Jr. wed,” Travel, Nov. 23). The northern portion of the island was designated a wilderness in 1972. Wilderness areas are, by definition, off limits to motorized vehicles. Kingston declares this limitation makes the area inaccessible to the elderly and disabled and that “only an 18-year-old backpacker” can make the trip.

Well, most wilderness areas are inaccessible to the elderly and disabled. Unfortunately, John F. Kennedy Jr. chose to get married in Cumberland Island’s wilderness area. And that’s what the controversy is all about, isn’t it? The entire southern portion of the island is easily accessible to day trippers, has historic ruins, wild horses, pristine beaches —- all the attractions that bring visitors to Cumberland, except the church where JFK Jr. was married.

Thanks to Kingston, this 48-year-old backpacker and her 11-year-old daughter will be dodging tour vans full of celebrity seekers when we make our trip to the Cumberland Island “wilderness” this spring.

ALISA NORVELLE, Atlanta

Discrimination against gays continues

Muhammad Yungai’s opinion column about finally having hope for the promise of America really said something to me (“Obama’s election has black nationalist revisiting stance,” @issue, Nov. 25). I recently read “Slavery by Another Name” [by Douglas A. Blackmon] and discovered that actual emancipation was a myth until World War II.

Many of Yungai’s words also apply to me if one word is changed to gay. I too have “spent most of my life extremely angry about the oppressive treatment.” Also “our enemies have fought us tooth and nail every inch of the way.” I do not in any way compare my oppression to that of African Americans, but we are still fired just for who we are, we are denied equal rights to marriage and adoption, and all done legally. Way too often we are beaten and killed for who we are. These oppressive laws now passed in 30 states send the message to young people that if they are gay they are inferior. That almost made me commit suicide in 1961. Why is this still going on in America?

WINSTON JOHNSON, Atlanta

Check out Web site for generic drugs

Your story “High medication costs hard to swallow,” (Living, Nov. 26) on the high cost of prescription drugs left out the most valuable advice of all. Americans are programmed to believe that new is always better, and the most expensive product is usually the best. That’s not true with prescription drugs. In many cases, generic pills are not only much less expensive; they are often safer than heavily advertised brand-name pills.

How can you find out? The most objective source of information on prescription drugs is a Web site called Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs. It’s free and provides expert scientific advice in an easy-to-understand format. Its sponsor, Consumers Union, accepts no outside advertising. It has no agenda other than to protect the interests of consumers. Many patients with high drug costs can save hundreds of dollars a year after visiting this site.

Dr. ART KELLERMANN

Dr. Kellermann is professor of emergency medicine and associate dean for health policy at the Emory School of Medicine.

Can’t pave or pay our way out

The region has spent countless resources trying to get people to carpool. Money was spent on HOV lanes under the Clean Air Act to reduce our emissions while reducing our dependency on foreign oil. Now two people can no longer travel in the HOV lane for free so that single drivers can pay their way out of congestion? Bait and switch.

If these Lexus lanes are such a good idea, then instead of diluting the HOV lanes they should convert one of the other lanes to a Lexus lane. We can’t pave our way out of congestion and individual drivers can’t pay our way out of it either.

ERIC HOVDESVEN, Atlanta