Romney has overstayed his welcome
I have listened with varying degrees of dismay and disdain to Mitt Romney’s diatribes against Donald Trump these past few days. Obviously, Mitt didn’t quite get the not-so-subtle message American voters sent to him in 2012. Perhaps a somewhat blunter message is called for. I am reminded of the remark made by Leo Amery, member of Parliament, addressing Neville Chamberlain after Chamberlain had been ousted as Prime Minister and offered to stay on to assist the new government. Amery said, quoting Oliver Cromwell, “You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!” Yes, Mitt, please, just go away. We’ve heard all we care to from you.
JACK KIMMICH, KENNESAW
Peach Pass is answer to congestion
The technology for variable electronic tolling, based on the local congestion level at the time, is here (Peach Pass System). All we need is to complete the infrastructure to support it. Adding more tolled express lanes to include all major arteries in metro Atlanta (initially I-75, I-85, I-20, I-285, and Ga. 400) will deliver this modernization. The beauty of this new infrastructure is that it can be shared by transit buses and vanpools with no toll cost for these riders and no extra burden on taxpayers. This provides an alternative to congestion for the tolled auto drivers as well as the bus/vanpool riders throughout the region.
Extending the heavy rail system (at heavy taxpayer cost) to the north and east will offer transportation alternatives to a relatively small number of people within the decentralized complex known as metro Atlanta (5 million people). The overall effect of this rail expansion on congestion relief in the region will be minimal. While we all like to look good getting off of the train, we need realistic solutions to congestion in this spread-out area.
JOEL SMITH, STOCKBRIDGE
About the Author
