Doctors, staffs must set example on weight
As Damon Tweedy points out in his guest commentary (“Obesity fight is an obligation,” Opinion, June 2), the epidemic of obesity is not only an individual problem, but must involve physicians’ interaction with patients as well. I would add doctors themselves to the equation. Walk into any physician’s office, hospital or medical building, and you find a large number of overweight and obese staff members (including many doctors). Physicians will have a hard time convincing patients to lose weight and exercise more if they and their staffs continue to include obviously overweight and obese people.
Edward A. Watkins, Lilburn
Balfour should admit he crossed the line
Isn’t it about time for Don Balfour to show some signs of shame and remorse for duping his constituents and the residents of Georgia for the past 20 years (“Senate panel pursues Balfour on travel pay,” News, June 2)?
He may have been doing it for years and getting re-elected, but it appears his own party is finally onto him for taking the taxpayers’ money while wining and dining with questionable lobbyists, who are more than happy to draft legislation for Balfour to bring to the floor. How long is Balfour’s slow decline to go on before he admits he was wrong?
Laurie McDowell, Atlanta
It’s GOP, not Obama, causing our problems
Mitt Romney and his supporters are trying to make everyone forget the economic disaster President Barack Obama inherited when he came into office. Years of George W. Bush’s stewardship of the economy brought us to the brink of collapse. Obama’s economic policies have been anything but a failure. The economy has stabilized and is slowly making its way back.
The situation could be much better if it weren’t for the unprecedented obstruction by Senate Republicans against every economic initiative proposed by the president. Their willingness to put partisan ideology above getting our economy growing faster is stunning.
The important question that Mitt Romney needs to answer is how his economic policies are going to be different from the ones implemented by Bush.
If you have been paying attention, you know the answer: The policies of Romney are the Bush policies on steroids.
Mike Haremski, Tucker
Let’s pick legislators based on an IQ test
I have a great idea. Let’s require each present and potential legislator to take an IQ test.
The results would be printed in the AJC. If a representative tests below “average,” he or she should be recalled — or not be able to run.
Can you imagine what that would reveal? That would place fear in the candidates’ respective hearts.
What fun.
William Parker, Atlanta
