Far too many employers are demanding degrees
“As the quality of higher education falls, cost rises” (Opinion, June 10) reiterates that onerous college debt has become widespread, without offering the likelihood a degree will lead to a job.
I once saw an ad for a lifeguard position which stipulated that applicants be college graduates or students. That solidified my belief that requiring a college degree for a given job —nearly any job — should be challenged.
Difficult as it will be to establish measures of competence and knowledge that can compete with college degrees for job attainment, lack of those measures has propelled us to the “education bubble.”
A movement for alternative credentials has begun. A college degree will remain as a legitimate credential for job-seeking, but only one of several.
Given competition, the degree can become a more reliable indicator of advanced knowledge, skills and critical thinking than it reportedly has become.
Eleanor Smith, Decatur
With friends like Dowd, who needs enemies?
Regarding “‘Poppy chic’: Elder Bush garners more popularity” (Opinion, June 10), how sad.
Maureen Dowd tells of visiting George H.W. Bush to talk about his birthday plans. Her present for him?
A column filled with hateful sentiments about his twice-elected son, President George W. Bush.
Instead of presenting the great feeling between this father and son, Dowd decorates with ignominious presumptions.
As to such a journalist bearing gifts, one can only say: Beware of those with the personal prerogative of puerile politics.
Catherine Boone Shealy, Atlanta
Use toll funds to build an overpass in Forsyth
Ga. 400 tolls need to be used to build an overpass at its intersection with Ga. 369 in Forsyth County.
Ga. 400 has been wildly successful in opening the mountains to Atlanta, and vice versa. But as Ga. 400 allowed more Georgians to move to this area, it also increased surface road traffic. On holiday weekends, Ga. 400 traffic jams can be two miles long.
Tolls need to be used for an overpass at this spot to assure that Ga. 400 continues to be a highway — and not a linear parking lot. This highway should be self-sustaining through tolls.
Jock Ellis, Cumming
Can’t rewrite history to excuse Bush failures
Several recent letters to the editor have complained that the writers are tired of George W. Bush being blamed for the country’s many problems. I’m sure they are — but one can’t ignore the fact that the results of years of unchallenged Republican control pretty much speak for themselves.
Republicans seemed chastened after the 2008 elections, with party leadership saying they needed to do some soul-searching.
That lasted about 10 minutes, before conservative media began a desperate attempt to rewrite the history of their party’s actions.
Republicans would gain more territory by admitting their economic policies failed and, rather than trying to institute these same policies again, coming up with viable options that will help get our country on track.
A recurring conservative tenet is that people should be accountable for their actions. It’s time they do the same about their own.
Bruce White, Tucker
Labor Unions
Response to “Defeat signals unions losing grip,” News, June 10
Thank you for this great article. I like how it was divided into sections. The writing was well done and the detail was excellent. This was proof positive that print journalism still has an important role in the news industry.
James O’Connor, Cumming
