NEW STADIUM
No wonder politicians
have lost public’s trust
When I turned to the editorial pages and saw Mike Luckovich’s cartoon depicting Santa holding up a child (the city of Atlanta) and telling the child he was getting a new stadium for Christmas, I burst out in hysterical laughter (Opinion, Dec. 11).
After I calmed down, I questioned my reaction, and realized my laughter emanated from my deep distrust in our state and local elected officials to do what is right on behalf of the taxpayers.
We are coming off one of the worst recessions since the Great Depression. We have laid off teachers, firefighters and state employees. We have made deep cuts to local and state education budgets. Our governor and our mayor want to “give” us a new stadium that we don’t need to placate a billionaire who could afford to build the stadium with his own money — and the mayor and the governor scratch their heads and wonder why the T-SPLOST failed.
GARY COX, ATLANTA
Remember the fans
when negotiating deal
Perhaps the new stadium deal could include a guarantee for cheap tickets for average, Atlanta-area residents. After all, the new stadium will surely sport even more luxury suites for those unperturbed by the high cost of a football ticket. But for some people, even the nosebleed $60 tickets make attendance prohibitively expensive.
I suggest an agreement in which every local fan is guaranteed one seat to one game per season at a reasonable price (say, $25). Given that the Georgia World Congress Center Authority is ready to give the Falcons millions in taxpayer money, such a proposal seems perfectly reasonable.
MATT J. DUFFY, ROSWELL
BUDGET TALKS
Wealthy should pay
fair share of taxes
President Obama is willing to compromise with House Republicans, but he is standing firm on the idea that the wealthiest few should pay their fair share.
I wholeheartedly agree. While millionaires and billionaires have seen their stock portfolios rise, middle-class families have been dealt multiple economic blows in the last few years. Even with improvements in the economy, it is still clear that there is much more work to be done.
We need to strengthen our economy, and passing the tax cut extension makes good economic sense. It is something both parties agree on. Why can’t Congress make it happen?
SANDRA DANIELS, ATLANTA
AIRPORT SECURITY
TSA screeners better
than private vendors
I have flown over a million miles through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, and I am convinced that the TSA is quantum leaps ahead of the private screeners I encountered across the country before 9/11 (“Airport should ditch agency,” Opinion, Dec. 11).
The TSA employees are courteous, professional and, when I have had a concern or problem, very responsive. Are they perfect? No, but let’s work on improving things — rather than trashing them in favor of minimum-wage “private” workers.
BILL GURLEY, ATLANTA
