Lawmakers should ease up on Fulton
I disagree with the contention of state Reps. Lynne Riley of Johns Creek and John Albers of Roswell that Fulton County wastes money and should not proceed with a tax hike (“Opponents rally against county tax hike,” News, June 18). The focus of Riley and Albers should be on the state level, not the county level. Their interference in county business is inappropriate.
Fulton County libraries are closed two days a week. Are we so poor that we cannot have our libraries open seven days a week? That is only one result of Fulton not having enough money to budget properly. Other services have been cut as well, including those for seniors, arts and health care. Meanwhile, the state has not restored funding for DFACS to have enough case workers and high-quality staff. Perhaps legislators can refocus efforts where they are desperately needed. They need to get their priorities straight and help people.
PATTY DURAND, ROSWELL
In Iraq, let’s not repeat our mistakes
Jay Bookman squarely places the blame where it is deserved (“A price still unpaid for our ignorance in Iraq,” Opinion, June 18). Bush neocons arrogantly assumed American wealth and armed forces could remake Iraq. Ignorance of Iraq’s history, of Sunni/Shi’ia realities and concerning WMDs, led to a monumental miscalculation.
Thomas Sowell (“Bitter legacy: Iraq losing what our troops had won,” Opinion, June 18) admits, “Iraq should put an end to the notion of ‘nation-building’.” He states we should “at least acknowledge” Bush was a “patriotic American” and unjustifiably slurs Obama’s patriotism. The real question: Who got it right? As for the present situation, given the loss of American lives and treasury, and having learned how ignorance misled us, no serious observer can support continued military presence, as Sowell suggests.
KARL M. TERRELL, ATLANTA
What did we get out of Iraq war?
President Obama reportedly does not need Senate approval to send troops to Iraq. What have we accomplished in Iraq so far? The U.S. overthrew Saddam Hussein, then removed the Iraqi armed forces and government to support formation of new ones. The cost was more than $1.5 trillion, thousands of Iraqi lives and 4,486 U.S. soldiers’ lives, over 100,000 U.S. soldiers and a million-plus Iraqis wounded and damaged psychologically, and destruction of homes, buildings, water supplies, sewer systems and such. For that, we got a partisan government, ill-equipped and factional military, and access to Iraqi oil. Lasting allies? A stable government? A stabilized Middle East? No.
CHRIS ROESEL, COVINGTON
