Legislators’ greed is laughably obvious
Jay Bookman’s imagined life of a legislator under a $100 gift cap was hilarious (“How $100 gift limit will deprive poor legislators,” Opinion, June 13). It also made clear how absurd our legislators’ resistance to a cap is. They would still enjoy golf outings, monster-truck exhibitions, fine dining and much, much more — all at lobbyist expense.
Nothing of value should pass between a lobbyist and our elected officials. Those exchanges give the appearance of bought-and-paid-for access and influence.
I can only imagine the anguish under the Gold Dome if more substantive ethics reforms were advocated — like applying the Open Records Act to the Legislature, or granting the ethics commission guaranteed funding, the ability to initiate investigations and subpoena powers. Georgians shouldn’t have to imagine how much largess is appropriate for our legislators.
Don McAdam, Sandy Springs
Local passport office saved our vacation
After packing for a recent trip to Europe, I realized that my husband’s passport had expired. With less than 20 hours before our flight, we had to get his passport renewed. I called the Atlanta Passport Agency, and got the first appointment available. The next morning, we packed our car and went to get passport pictures taken. We drove downtown. This is where the miracle began.
Everyone we encountered there was incredibly nice. The agency staff was vigilant, polite, knowledgeable and extremely friendly. After explaining our situation and handing in our paperwork, we were told to come back that afternoon to pick up my husband’s new passport. Almost exactly three hours before our flight was to take off, we had my husband’s new passport. We drove to the airport — still in shock. We got on our plane, spent a fantastic vacation in France, and told everyone we saw about our experience. We felt like the luckiest people on earth, and just had to share our good fortune.
Marie Lavigne, Marietta
Probe of gunrunning hardly a ‘witch hunt’
I’m troubled by the heartless attitude some people have regarding the operation “Fast and Furious.” If you’re not familiar with the United States’ gunrunning activity in Mexico, I suggest you educate yourself. We will be paying for this in more ways than one.
With Mexican citizens being killed with “Fast and Furious” guns, it is unconscionable for U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings (and others) to use the term “witch hunt” regarding the investigation. How could he hold the lives of those people in such low regard?
The Mexican government is doing its own investigation. It would behoove us to make sure we treat this as the serious matter it is. As Americans, our fingerprints are on those guns. If we don’t see that justice is done, in the eyes of the world we will never get the blood off our hands.
Susan Rogers, Dalton
