MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Lawmaker pushes agenda at expense of sick kids
An open letter to state Rep. Sharon Cooper: As a parent pushing for life-saving medical cannabis here in Georgia for my daughter who suffers from severe seizures and developmental delays, I had hoped as an elected official, you would not resort to outright lies to push your agenda (“Research needed, complexity abounds,” Opinion, Feb. 14), especially at the expense of sick children. Your op-ed painted a picture that we are seeking unresearched, untested, dangerous medicine for our children, and nothing could be further from the truth. The medicine we seek is already doctor-approved, lab-tested and safer than then numerous FDA-approved drugs our children take today. I also can’t understand why you would do this about a bill (House Bill 885) that you have voted in favor of twice now. Please correct your facts the next time you speak publicly and try to use scare tactics to prevent our children from getting life-saving medicine.
BLAINE CLOUD, SMYRNA
POLITICS
Obama has worsened unemployment, debt
In response to “GOP tactics got us in current financial mess” (Readers write, March 14), the writer seems to have selective amnesia. If the writer remembers, Jimmy Carter was a disaster as president — major financial problems, double-digit mortgage interest rates, gas shortages, hostages in Iran and numerous other problems. President Reagan had us out of Carter’s mess in two years. The last six years under Reagan were very good. President Obama inherited many fewer problems than Reagan. When Bush left office, the unemployment rate was lower than after Obama took over. Obama said the unemployment rate would never go over 8 percent during his presidency. The unemployment rate climbed into double digits. When Bush left office, the national debt was $6 trillion. In less than six years under Obama, the debt is now over $17 trillion. And the writer wants to blame the GOP? Maybe Obamacare will help the writer with his selective amnesia.
AL SITTEN, CARTERSVILLE
OBAMACARE
Leaders should rally against Medicaid bill
I think bill House Bill 707, which is targeting the most vulnerable individuals in our state, is the most harmful proposal ever to advance in the Georgia Legislature. It takes away the possibility to ever operate a health care exchange and makes it illegal for any state agency to ever advocate the expansion of Medicaid. The key word hear is “ever.” Where are the many organizations and individuals that should be rallying against this bill, especially religious leaders? What you do to the least of them, you do to me. Your silence is deafening.
JAMES MCKUNE, WOODSTOCK
