READERS WRITE

Rail legislation good for U.S.

The state of our economy and what to do about it is a primary subject discussed by both presidential candidates. But neither Barack Obama nor John McCain has paid serious attention to our jammed and wreckage-prone land transportation systems.

Legislation [to be] jointly proposed by U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.), representing both sides of the aisle, calls for extensive fast electric rail tracking between the Northeast and the South (“Isakson puts his street cred on the rails,” Metro, Sept. 8).

The Isakson-Kerry venture is a significant example of sensible legislation on behalf of our country too often ill-served by its leadership.

WARD PAFFORD

Decatur

Give more to transit, less to roads

On Wednesday, the Federal Highway Trust Fund got a bailout of $8 billion from the federal government’s general fund. Why the deficit? The trust fund is supplied with money from a gas tax. With high gas prices and congestion, people are driving less while the cost of new highway projects increases. What I’m left wondering is why we are increasing the supply of highways when the demand for driving is falling. New highways and roads alleviate some congestion, but they don’t lower the cost of gas, price of insurance, or the impact driving has on our environment. The trust fund allocates about 80 percent of its money to highway, road and bridge projects. Only about 20 percent goes toward transit projects. At a time when people are looking to drive less, why are we spending their money on more roads and not more options?

ADRIENNE TECZA

Tecza is the transportation associate with the Georgia Public Interest Research Group, which advocates on behalf of citizens.

Connect headlines to reveal troubled nation

In today’s 24/7 news cycle it is difficult for the average reader to connect the dots between related items. However I thought I would try on Thursday, which was the seventh anniversary of 9/11.

Between the front page and business section, I found seven articles that exemplify the difficult times we are in and the lack of leadership that will be required to get us out:

DeKalb County students may lose busing because of rising fuel costs, among other reasons (“5,600 may lose bus service,” Page One); “Georgia No. 3 in late home loans” (Page One); big oil companies linked to bribery with Department of Interior officials (“Graft alleged in feds’ ties with big oil,” News); FEMA shells out billions in no-bid contracts without any oversight (“New audit faults FEMA contracts,” News); “Study says speculators caused surge in oil prices,” (Business); “Afghan war getting tougher, Pentagon says,” (News); “Obama calls McCain ads false outrage,” (News); and “Habitat founder rips greed,” (News).

My attempt to sew these stories together: Our society continues to place wants above needs. This greed corrupts our free-market system and encourages poor decision-making from the working-class homebuyer to the CEO of the biggest companies.

Government intervenes, attempting to stanch the bleeding, resulting in short-term relief but actually making things worse. The only viable political parties bicker like children avoiding meaningful debate and are goaded on this path by the media.

Clearly our system is not operating as designed. We are blessed to live in this wonderful country. Can we unite to solve these problems? Can we end partisanship and engage in healthy debate about the problems we face and the possible ways out?

MATT BOWMAN

Atlanta

Oil independence, offshore drilling not equal

I have yet to hear guarantees from politicians who advocate oil drilling offshore and in Alaska that the drilling will be done only by American-owned companies and that all resultant petroleum will be refined and sold only in the United States.

U.S. oil independence and drilling offshore and in Alaska are not necessarily the same thing. Know this and proceed carefully.

BILL GEIDL

Dacula