A NATION DIVIDED
Response to "Obama's words thwart calls for national unity" Readers write, Opinion, March 24
Regarding a recent letter to the editor stating, “Who is working to divide the country? What such rhetoric did you hear from Mitt Romney?” I would ask, does the term “47 percent” ring a bell?
SUSAN BAKER ARASI, COLLEGE PARK
AIR TRAVEL
Premium fliers simply
get what they pay for
Don’t make an assertion of class warfare, when in reality, it is capitalism working as designed (“Two worlds exist on Delta flights,” Business, March 24).
I am not affiliated with Delta, nor do I have Medallion status. I understand that the term “class” is a bit of a play on words, but you clearly infer that Delta is giving special treatment to a certain class of people. They are — to those who pay more. The reality is, that if it wasn’t for premium customers, the fares for the rest of us would be higher.
Your article would have been much better if you had focused on the business aspect of why major carriers rely on premium customers — rather than inferring that they are somehow stealing away from regular customers and giving to premium customers.
KEVIN CLEARY, ATLANTA
COLLEGE TUITION
Kids of divorce need
support from parents
It is not uncommon for children of those going through divorce to fall between the financial cracks. However, no Georgia law obligates divorcing parents to assist with the cost of a college education, even though higher-education expenses are effectively beyond the reach of most young people without costly loans and financial assistance from their families.
Laws in many states authorize courts to require financially able parents going through divorce to assist with the cost of higher education for their children. Given the policy behind the HOPE scholarship program and the increasing importance of a college degree, it is a shame that children of divorce disproportionately do not attend college because of disputes over finances.
It would be proper for our Legislature to make sure divorcing parents do nothing more or less than that which would be done in an intact family, including helping their children with the cost of higher education. This would dramatically improve the quality of life of all citizens of this state.
DONALD A. WEISSMAN, MARIETTA
MILITARY SAFETY
Live ammo necessary
for soldiers’ training
Regarding “Don’t use live rounds for soldiers’ training” (Readers write, Opinion, March 26), the Vietnam veteran who holds this opinion should elaborate on his idea for us.
Most weapons require calculations and adjustments to assure accuracy when fired. Test-firing live ammo is the only way to know your targeting will be accurate. This applies to heavy ordnance as well as shoulder-held weapons such as rifles. Would the writer have our troops go to the rifle range and fire blanks?
C.P. MURCHLAND, DECATUR
ECONOMY
Latest job numbers
don’t tell whole story
A story in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (“Georgia still struggling to add jobs,” ajc.com, March 25) focuses on job ratio data to paint a bleak and pessimistic picture.
In fact, according to recent data from the Georgia Department of Labor, metro Atlanta has experienced two consecutive years of positive job creation. Projections from Georgia State University’s Economic Forecasting Center show metro Atlanta poised for at least three more years on an upward trend of positive employment growth.
We have also had recent, major company announcements: AirWatch is investing $60 million in an Atlanta expansion that will bring 1,000 new jobs; Ernst & Young will open an $8.5 million global IT center and create 400 jobs, and General Motors has started hiring for 1,000 new jobs at a new technology center. These are clear indications that Atlanta is yet again on the path to prosperity.
DAVE STOCKERT, PRESIDENT AND CEO, POST PROPERTIES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, METRO ATLANTA CHAMBER
