READERS WRITE

Underground lines need most attention

The Obama administration is looking for infrastructure projects to put people to work and get this country in better shape for the future. Meanwhile, year after year, millions of Americans suffer hardship (often severe) from power outages caused by wind, ice and snow. Utility companies spend billions each year to restring unsightly wires and poles in older neighborhoods.

I suggest a national goal of putting 5 percent of these lines underground each year. Local governments should be given grants and use eminent domain to dig the trenches, and public utility commissions should require electric, telephone and cable companies to quickly fill the trenches with conduits. Property owners could be assessed a reasonable amount for the trenches to their buildings. In 20 years, imagine how much more secure and attractive communities would be.

KEN LIBBEY

Decatur

Columnist must face current needs

Jim Wooten is in a tough spot (“Add road capacity for traffic relief,” @issue, Dec. 23). To support new highway lanes, he cannot mention their massive costs. To oppose public transit, he must list all the costs and avoid writing about any benefits. Even when he does those things, his argument still must face 21st-century realities.

Last summer, gas shortages left many metro Atlanta cars stranded in their driveways or in long gas lines. Wild fluctuations in gas prices make reliance on oil-dependent car travel riskier than ever. Even when gas prices are low, we live with smog alerts, poor land use and few alternatives to sitting in traffic. Light rail, commuter rail, bus lines and streetcars are ways to address these problems as well as encourage much-needed economic development. Public transit is a responsible investment for the future and Georgia’s transportation agencies should be commended for planning for it.

LEE BIOLA

Biola is president of Citizens for Progressive Transit, a grassroots transit advocacy organization.

There are still good Christians in world

Yes, Virginia, there are good people in this world. Rick Badie’s column about the two men who helped Lawrence Hardnett restructure his IRS debt is living proof that we can still act as Christians and in a color-blind way (“Good people in this world,” @issue, Dec. 27). This is what the Christmas story is all about —- love and concern for others regardless of race, color or creed. And how wonderful that our president-elect is seen as an inspiration and a role model for a change in how we see one another.

MARION KAPLE

Alpharetta

U.S. exercises no control over Israel

The U.S. government’s policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is simply embarrassing. For decades, the U.S. has allowed Israel to continue to defy international law by expanding illegal settlements in the West Bank. Over the past few decades, the U.S. has supplied Israel with hundreds of billions of dollars in cash and high-tech military equipment.

Three years ago, Israel used our weapons to kill over 1,000 Lebanese civilians and the United States kept silent. Today, Israel has used those same weapons to kill at least 350 Palestinians and the United States still can’t bring itself to criticize Israel. Is there no number of people that Israel could kill that would cause the U.S. to be even remotely critical of Israel?

It’s hard not to come to the conclusion that the U.S. is simply impotent when it comes to controlling Israel.

ERIC RIDENOUR

Alpharetta