It would be ridiculous to close state facilities
Regarding “Welcome center tough to ax” (News, May 29), Georgia literally spends millions of annual tax dollars on economic development. The few welcome centers we have act as a terrific economic stimulus for many residents in our state.
First, they provide a simple “welcome” to high numbers of tourists. The welcome centers hand out brochures on activities throughout our state. Tourists support restaurants, service stations, campgrounds, motels, major sports and many shopping venues (to name a few) throughout our communities. These tourist services represent thousands of jobs and income for our residents. These welcome centers are on the perimeter of our state and generally in communities where this stimulus is greatly needed. If the welcome centers were open seven days a week (as they should be), even more economic benefits would be seen all over our state.
Wake up. It would be completely ridiculous to close any of these much-needed and beneficial welcome centers.
Bill Huff, Sandy Springs
Ralston’s comments were distorted
In Bob Irvin’s “GOP must be different” (Opinion, May 25), I was amazed to read the gross liberties he took to distort the comments House Speaker David Ralston made at the state GOP convention.
The nuance of the speaker’s remarks was clearly lost on the author. I was at the convention and must underscore a direct quote from the speaker: “There are those who would sow the seeds of dissension and discord in order to advance a self-absorbed agenda that is not consistent or in the best interest of our party.”
Ralston was not talking about “ethics reform.” He was addressing a mission of Common Cause. One of its goals is to bring taxpayer-funded elections to Georgia. Taking money away from education or health care or public safety, as Common Cause would apparently prefer, to pay for partisan political races is not, as the speaker said, “consistent or in the best interest of the [Georgia Republican Party].” Supporting such an initiative is counter to the beliefs of Republicans across this state who believe in conservative, limited government.
PHIL KENT, ATLANTA
We must find another way to guard freedoms
Another Memorial Day has passed. We paid homage to all those veterans (especially the deceased), who enabled us to be the free people we are today.
It is sad that those who have done so much for our freedom had little (if anything) to do with our involvement in wars. It is mainly the young who serve in our armed forces. What’s interesting is that more and more of our elected leaders never served a day in their lives — yet they send our youth into the “jaws of death.”
We have to find another way to guard our freedoms without the constant drain on our youth.
David Clarke, Buford
