Why aren’t traffic laws enforced?
I agree with Kenneth Maxwell’s assessment of Atlanta drivers (Readers Write, May 25), having returned to Atlanta last year after several years of living in Washington, D.C. Why will officials not enforce the traffic laws in favor of pedestrians in the area of Peachtree Street and Lenox Road? I was walking on Lenox, legally crossing the sidewalk in front of the side exit at Lenox Mall, and was struck by a woman turning right onto Lenox Road who did not even look in my direction before driving off without stopping.
On another occasion, I was crossing Lenox at Alexander Road. Even though I had the walk sign in my favor, a driver stopped, but harassed me by blowing his horn until I reached the other side of the street. Also, at the corner of Peachtree and Lenox at Phipps Plaza, most drivers refuse to yield, and it creates an unsafe condition as pedestrians try to complete their crossing at the right-hand turn onto Lenox without having drivers yell curses at us.
ROBERT MCJUNKIN, ATLANTA
Progress made in renewable energy
Kudos to Georgia Power! It took a nudge, but the big engine is moving forward (“Georgia Power adds wind energy,” News, May 25). Its slow embrace of wind and solar power is an encouraging sign for our state’s future. Technology has advanced and prices have fallen, making clean, renewable energy a practical and increasingly affordable choice.
Now imagine how fast this trend would accelerate if the full costs of fossil fuel plants were considered. Many experts say that a price on carbon emissions is an important element in changing the investment calculations utilities make. This fee on carbon need not be painful if the full amount collected is returned to our citizens as a dividend, offsetting higher energy costs. But it would certainly motivate utilities to move more swiftly to clean power generation. The clean energy train is leaving the station. Glad to see Georgia Power on board.
B. SCOTT SADLER, ATLANTA
VA woes portend Obamacare for all
The Veterans Administration is the second-largest bureaucracy in the country and the canary in the coal mine for health care in America. It serves only 9 million veterans, and veterans are dying on waiting lists to see doctors. Can you imagine the frustration, red tape and waiting lists if Obamacare is not repealed? Conservatives have been warning of the horrendous effects of Obamacare and have fought against it since day one. It’s time for all Americans to wake up and realize that the uncaring incompetence of the Veterans Administration is what you can expect from Obamacare.
CONRAD QUAGLIAROLI, WOODSTOCK
