Readers Write 11/15

TRANSPORTATION

Response to “State dumps its toll road partnership.” Metro, Nov. 3

Our state Department of Transportation has demonstrated ineptitude in performing basic responsibilities, and in finding transportation solutions that efficiently benefit Georgia’s citizens. Now it thinks it will find a solution to the “$7 billion funding gap” for a metro-wide system of optional toll lanes. This will not work no matter how they change the bidding rules, scale down the initial phase, shuffle the numbers or divide the costs, revenues and risks between the taxpayers and private interests, well-connected or not. The toll road partnership depends upon enough motorists willing to pay a toll to avoid congestion. Our DOT’s mission should be to reduce traffic congestion, and not sustain it at levels required to force some motorists to pay billions more in tolls or be late to work.

Tony Gardner, Cumming

HEALTH CARE

‘Obamacare’ is really nothing to laugh about

While Mike Luckovich and the AJC find the Republican health care proposal amusing, there is certainly nothing to laugh about in the budget-busting, trillion-dollar mish-mash the Democrats are trying to ramrod through Congress (Opinion, Nov. 6). Cost estimates continue to grow, while no one can definitively say what Obamacare will or won’t do — and the Democrat rejoinder is that Obamacare is in many ways a government health care program like Medicare.

So, the Democrats want to create a new health care system that strips money from Medicare, a program that many argue is already facing bankruptcy without rationing of services. Yep. Nothing to laugh about in any of that.

John Wiley, Marietta

Democrats’ proposals filled with knee-slappers

I’m glad Mike Luckovich found the Republicans’ health care reform plan so amusing. I’ve been enjoying the knee-slappers in the Democrats’ various proposals, including, “This won’t add one dime to the deficit,” and “If you like your current plan, you can keep it.” But, then, I’ve always enjoyed science fiction.

Ron Butler, Powder Springs

With Congress, why stop with just its health plan?

Rep. Phil Gingrey’s statement (“Gingrey: Put members of Congress under public option,” News, Nov. 5 ) that all members of Congress should be covered under a public option plan sounds a bit disingenuous. Political theater designed to distract from the desperate need for health insurance reform, perhaps?

If Gingrey is indeed serious, why stop with the public option? Why not propose that Congressional salaries be set at the federally mandated minimum wage, and that Congress be stripped of the outrageously generous perks and expense allowances? Now that would save some serious money — and I might begin to take him seriously.

Steve Williams, Cumming

Government should end food product subsidies

Re “Should health policy include taxing unhealthy foods, drinks?” (Opinion, Oct. 27): consider that the federal government already takes our tax dollars to subsidize corn production. This provides cheap products like corn syrup, which has been added to thousands of products over the years. This adds calories, permits super sizing and triggers a faster return to feeling hungry, which adds weight to many Americans. Now the government wants to tax a few products it singles out as unhealthy.

If the government would stop this subsidy, and production costs and prices rose to their natural levels, demand would adjust. Animal feed cost would rise, but then cattle might no longer be fed corn which they aren’t designed to eat. We could all be healthier.

If people were responsible for their own weight, it would also improve health and lower our health costs. Let people decide what is unhealthy. Make it cost more to make unhealthy choices, or give incentives to take care of your health.

Buff Quillian, Atlanta

POLITICS

Leadership shows disdain for the people

A recent letter suggested that “the U.S. political climate is dominated by bitter, mean-spirited opponents of every good American cause” (“Readers write”, Nov. 3). Is every action by the government good for the American people?

Have you heard the disdain for the people coming from Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi — and, I might add, the White House? These “malevolent foes” are but one voice in the desert surrounded by scores of liberal-leaning sources of ‘news and opinion’. If you take the time to listen and watch the people you call rabble rousers, you might discover, if you have an open mind, that what they are saying is, for the most part, backed up by audio and video of the subjects of their criticism. It scares the heck out of me — but since they are involved with the government, their views and aims are just dandy. Well, they are not.

Jerry A. Cicero, Atlanta

ELECTIONS

Qualifications, not race, should decide winner

I am a white woman who recently voted for Kasim Reed, because I believe he will do the best job for Atlanta as a whole. As the mother of daughters, I love to see women in power, but in every election, I look at the candidates’ qualifications and experience when deciding who to vote for. Race and gender are not a consideration — nor should they be. The only group that keeps hitting us over the head with the racial aspects of the mayoral race is the AJC. Please stop harping on this topic.

Stacy Williams, Atlanta

Low turnout in recent balloting disappoints

I’m surprised that you have not commented on the great American travesty that took place in Georgia Nov. 3. Hardly anyone voted! Maybe up to 20 percent turned out to vote for people to represent them in local government. None of the candidates really won or lost, because in reality, no one really showed up to vote. A real election is when at least 60 percent of the voters turn out. There is a total general apathy towards government, and in the case of this election, people who should not be in office are going to be. It’s a disappointment.

Fred Hahn, Roswell