GOVERNMENT
Outraged at how Deal hired ombudsman
It may be irrelevant to some in the mental health community that Gov. Nathan Deal chose former Gov. Sonny Perdue’s former scheduler to be the new mental health ombudsman — but as a taxpayer, I am outraged. (“Deal skips hiring policy,” Page 1, June 30)
I am angered that Deal did not follow the hiring procedure created by legislation. Deal’s administration was not transparent in who had been vetted prior to their selection. And I am angered that anyone is granted a pay increase within our state government at this time (especially a person without professional credentials).
Our mental health system is broken. Government is requiring oversight, and this is a way to make it better? I don’t think so. Faye Andresen, Atlanta
PUBLIC SAFETY
Use technology to tame the dangers of texting
As we mark the first anniversary of Georgia’s ban on texting while driving, the question is, “Do you feel safer on the road than you did last year?”
We can go a long way toward reducing the prevalence of distracted driving by using better education and enforcement to reduce the “demand” for distraction-related behavior — but focusing solely on the demand side of the equation fails to address the “distraction supply” aspect: the chirping phone that alerts drivers of the texts and calls they are obligated by law to ignore.
While it is true that technology has contributed to this problem, it is also true that related technology can save lives. Whether that is automatically disabling the phone’s notification capabilities while we drive, or solutions that reply to incoming communications when the car is moving, technology can function to limit distraction supply.
We can help drivers with bad habits ignore temptation and bring new smartphone users into a more connected and integrated world without introducing them to, or encouraging, dangerous habits like distracted driving.
Wayne Irving, chief executive officer, Iconosys
GOVERNMENT
No independence from career politicians
Regarding “Car seat law begins Friday” (Living, June 30), George Washington would have laughed out loud at the notion that a government has the authority to tell parents how to seat their children. What arrogant gall spews from today’s career politicians! Bill Dekle, Millen
MARRIAGE
Promote marital unions, whether gay or straight
Does anyone find it ironic that gays struggle for marriage at the same time that straight people are abandoning it?
This problem is especially acute in the black community, in which a high percentage of babies are born to unmarried women. Regardless of one’s views on gay marriage, it is of great importance to promote a culture in which as many babies and young children as possible enjoy the security and stability of being born within marriage. Denise Noe, Atlanta
