Lobbying isn't a level field

Seeking to justify lobbying by asserting it constitutional, columnist Charles Krauthammer confronts only part of the dilemma ("Lobbying is grievously misjudged," @issue, Feb. 29). Most Americans accept that when attempting to influence elected representatives, each person, group or corporation has the constitutional right to present individual opinions to framers of our laws and policies.

Americans don't want to prevent representatives from hearing differing positions; we merely desire equal opportunity to express often well-considered viewpoints. But few citizens know how to attract the attention of powerful officials, and fewer still can afford professional lobbying assistance.

No matter how pertinent, simple e-mails cannot compete with luxury private jets. Neither phone calls nor letters admit common citizens to secret conferences where official energy policy is determined. We need a level field.

JOHN S. LEVITT, Felton

U.S. needs to start talks with Cuba

Regarding the Associated Press article "Bush raps other nations for their silence on Cuba" (News, March 8), how can President Bush criticize other nations when the U.S. has done so little itself? Over the years, when our country has had a disagreement with another nation, one of the ways our government has handled the problem is to recall our ambassador and close the embassy. This is like very young children playing together until one of them gets mad, picks up his toys and announces he is going home. The U.S. has been "mad" at Cuba for too many years. Whatever happened to diplomacy and talking?

Now would be the perfect time to begin talks with a country less than 100 miles from our border. If for no other reason than to improve his tattered legacy, Bush should begin meaningful talks with Cuba now.

DOUG TRAVER, Peachtree City

Health care truism

The problem is not lack of affordable health insurance, it's lack of affordable health care.

ROBERT MALLER, Atlanta

Murders of students incomprehensible

Sometimes you have to wonder what it's all about. Such is the case with the recent murders of the two young women at Auburn and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Billy Joel has a song, "Only the Good Die Young." In the case of these two students, how true that is.

Both were excellent students. One was president of her college and high school student bodies and a valedictorian. Now we are left with these two fine human beings dead and a killer or killers still among us. It's hard, even impossible, to grasp something like this.

BILL BURNS, Stone Mountain

Effective irritant

I wear a flag lapel pin hoping that it will irritate liberals ("Peeling off from the herd shows Obama's patriotism," Jay Bookman's column, March 3). Apparently it works.

JACK FRANKLIN, Conyers

Education system needs an overhaul

As someone in the thick of teacher education, I'm calling on legislators to make drastic changes. If 2.8 million more teachers are needed in America by 2015 (Time magazine, Feb. 25, 2008), we must act quickly to prevent a shortage. It is imperative that we increase teacher salaries in our state beyond the average starting salary of a mere $32,000 to $36,000.

Teaching is one of the most vital and exhausting jobs imaginable, yet we do not acknowledge this by paying teachers a living wage. We must cut the bloated bureaucracies that overregulate our profession and demand reams of senseless paperwork. Finally, we must expand teacher education programs, and we must expand them rapidly. Right now, I'm holding out hope that our next president will lead the nation in tackling education issues head-on. The situation is urgent.

MARY HOLLOWELL, Peachtree City

License plate issue a big waste of time

When Georgia citizens are being turned away from emergency rooms for lack of money, how can the Georgia Legislature waste time worrying about out-of-state college license plates? In the face of the massive, real problems facing Georgians, I don't give a fig about the college license plate issue, even though I graduated from both Auburn and Florida.

HARRIS GREEN, Big Canoe

Hold telecom firms accountable

No telecom immunity [for firms that gave personal information to the Bush administration]! Neither government nor corporations should be corrupt, and without accountability for wrongdoing, corruption is inevitable. Hold the lawbreakers accountable!

BETH CARR, Atlanta

Mockery of miracles wrong

In the "Dilbert" comic strip, the mockery of miracles performed by Jesus Christ is gratuitously sacrilegious and provocative (Business, March 10). Suppose the cartoonist had chosen to mock Muhammad. The AJC might have found itself paying for added security at its building, as newspapers in Denmark did. Apparently the AJC knows it can count on Christians to turn the other cheek.

JOE WALLACE, Braselton