QUESTIONABLE PRACTICES
Response to "Friendship paved way for $25M Ga. lease" News, June 2
Once again, the AJC’s excellent investigative staff has uncovered questionable practices in a government procedure — in this case, real estate dealings. This article not only illuminates a policy flaw in procedural bidding, but raises additional questions, not the least of which is, how many other such deals were corrupted as well?
Thanks again to the AJC for keeping citizens aware of government ineptitude and possible corruption. One can only hope that one day, we can open the newspaper and not read about yet another scandal. That may be a while. In the meantime, please continue the practice of helping to improve government.
MICHAEL L. SHAW, STONE MOUNTAIN
SINGLE MOTHERS
Teens don’t see link
of parenthood, poverty
I read with great interest “Roots of poverty” (Readers write, Opinion, June 2).
As a former nurse, I’ve witnessed firsthand numbers of children birthed by single moms — some of them 16 years old, and already delivering their second child. These girls, still children themselves, are repeating a pattern started by previous generations. They don’t make the connection between single parenthood and poverty. Never having had a father in the home themselves, they don’t know its importance.
Where are those community leaders who seem to shy away from this issue? Why are we so afraid to state the obvious? How do we create a change in this pattern before our society is reduced to a mass of poverty-stricken, uneducated people relying on public assistance to survive?
KATHY ENGELBERT, MARIETTA
HOMELAND SECURITY
To end wars, reduce
foreign involvement
There are many things I don’t like about President Obama, including abuse of the Constitution via unlawful regulations, drones, and “live for today to the detriment of tomorrow” fiscal policies. However, he is absolutely right that the U.S. cannot be in a perpetual state of war.
We need to assume terrorism will be with us indefinitely, and act accordingly to mitigate potential problems. Reducing our involvement in foreign affairs in a prudent manner would only help this cause.
ALLEN BUCKLEY, SMYRNA
ABUSE OF POWER
Government is threat,
not tea party activists
It is amazing how the media has put out such a negative spin regarding the tea party that ordinary citizens believe it is out to destroy our government, as shown by recent letters to this paper.
The tea party — and many informed citizens — believe in limited government, a free market economy and fiscal responsibility. These tenets ensure our freedom and keep our country strong. The climate of the current administration, which influences the IRS to target some groups, is downright scary. By giving the government excessive control over our incomes, health and environment, we are losing our freedom — and not even realizing it.
ELIZABETH WALKER, FAYETTEVILLE
