MARTA
Fare increase creates economic hardship
Although we understand the transit authority’s need to increase revenues to support long-term sustainability, we disagree with the enormity of MARTA’s fare increases. It is inexplicable how any business can raise prices this much and retain their customer base in this economy.
These dramatic increases will put a significant strain on many workers throughout the city — and in some cases, severely impact their quality of life. This includes the 85 percent of our own employees who use MARTA to commute to their jobs.
According to “MARTA fares top NYC transit” (News, June 23), the cost of a 30-day pass has increased by 81 percent in two years. Especially during a national and global recession, and with other personal costs such as health care and food skyrocketing, an increase this large simply cannot be tolerated. Although we realize that the time for public discourse has passed, we urge MARTA to reconsider the fare hike in favor of a more moderate increase or other austerity measures. Reducing corporate overhead should be considered — at least until the local economy improves.
Rick Holliday, chief executive officer, Hospitality Staffing Solutions
CHINA
Of course Coke’s chief prefers lax regulations
Regarding “China’s business style works for Coke” (News, Sept. 29), given high unemployment in the United States, Muhtar Kent’s observations seem to put salt in the wound. Is it any wonder he prefers to do business in a country with a regime that centralizes planning (rather than in a messy democracy with a dysfunctional political system)?
China has lax regulations for environmental and safety issues and consumer protection. The pay scale and benefits of their workers are modest (to say the least). They have few laws to protect a company’s business or shareholders from fraud, patent and copyright infringement, nationalization and other potential threats to its success and existence. I wonder where he would prefer to live?
Ron Kurtz, Alpharetta
SECURITY
United States moves toward totalitarianism
The prevalence of security cameras creeps me out. In 1984, while on a trip to Berlin, we crossed at a checkpoint to East Berlin. All day long, we were photographed and followed. At a plaza, I looked up, noticed all the surveillance cameras there, and said, “Thank God we live in America.” That was then.
Have we now become a totalitarian state in the name of security and environmentalism? We are taxed by an alphabet soup of quasi-governmental agencies. We are also being spied upon wherever we go. We must wake up and reclaim freedom while there is still a little time — before we become another Cold War Soviet Union.
Susan E. Stanton, Kennesaw
