Increase funding for public transit
Congress has failed to secure long-term funding for transportation in general and public transit specifically. Our roads and bridges are crumbling. We have buses and trains that need updating and maintenance. A lack of public transit options means too many Americans aren’t able to easily reach jobs, health care, education, shopping or other essential opportunities.
Congress needs to do more than simply extend the same approach to transportation we’ve taken since the 1950s. Even if you don’t use it personally, public transit supports a strong American economy, revitalizes communities and contributes to a higher quality of life by easing traffic congestion and reducing air pollution. Our members of Congress need to put public transit on a level playing field with other forms of transportation. We not only need them to act fast, but to do the right thing and increase funding for public transit significantly.
RICHARD FEHR, SHARPSBURG
Gwinnett County, annex us, please
Like Bill Torpy, I was torn about which way to vote on the LaVista Hills cityhood ballot (“Secrets and lies in Lavista Hills,” Metro, Nov. 9). I live in the Northcrest subdivision in the Doraville area just southeast of Spaghetti Junction. Reading the deluge of postcards discussing pros and cons involved sifting through a lot of puffery and posturing to get at the basic issue — a desire to distance ourselves from the scoundrels, rascals and, almost as bad, the county leadership that turns a blind eye instead of dealing with the aforementioned in running DeKalb County.
My final analysis was that we were fighting the wrong battle. We’ll never fix the problems in DeKalb by creating LaVista Hills. That said, we would insulate ourselves from the worst of it with a new city. The real battle we should be fighting is to somehow secede from DeKalb and beg Gwinnett County to annex us.
DAVID PORTER, DORAVILLE
Football players should get the boot
I don’t know all the facts in the University of Missouri situation (“Athletes’ protests force 2 departures,” News, Nov. 10), but I must say that when football players who are in school on scholarships make threats, they need to be kicked off the team. There are many other ways of showing support. If the university athletic department tolerates this, then what’s next if the players don’t like another faculty or board member? Yet another sad day for America.
BILL JONES, JONESBORO
