Refreshing to hear Coach Smart praise players for Dawgs’ success
Congratulations to everyone who contributed to the success of the Georgia Dawgs.
It was particularly pleasing to see Coach Smart, who made negative comments about the play of team quarterback Bennett after the win over Ohio State, truly appreciate Bennett’s (and many other team members) role in the program’s success.
His mention of the often-unnoticed scout team’s importance in preparing for TCU was a class comment. Seeing a different side of Coach Smart as he displayed emotion and joy for his team’s accomplishments was refreshing.
JOHN IORILLO, MARIETTA
Lawmakers must hold negligent landlords accountable
Georgia is justifiably proud of many things. It is a business-friendly state, and our employment enjoys great growth. National sports championships have recently been numerous, including Monday night’s UGA college football massive win!
Considering far more important factors, Georgia is a good place to live compared to many others.
Our state legislature convened on January 9 but dismissed for the day “with no bills to consider or issues to debate” (per this newspaper). Yet that day counted toward the 40-day limit for the session ending March 29. As UGA Coach Smart said after the game, success is possible for people willing to work -- without an “entitlement” attitude!
Allowing landlords to be paid rents without maintaining the healthy conditions of their Georgia properties has been egregiously wrong. Allowing their escape from responsibility by trading ownership perpetuates the horrors upon residents therein.
Add a 41st legislative day, if needed. Change the laws allowing such horrors! Require rents to be paid -- but only after conditions pass inspections!
TOM STREETS, ATLANTA
McCarthy’s concession cuts would increase poverty
Buried in all the side deals Kevin McCarthy made to secure the votes needed to be elected U.S. House Speaker is the desire that raising the debt ceiling be tied to cuts in spending on social programs.
This could include cuts in Social Security and Medicare. Recognizing that deficit spending can’t go on forever, particularly in times of rising interest rates is understood by both parties. The Republican solution would force cuts on Red states, where a lot of folks are low-income anyway. Lacking a reasonable compromise, if cuts like those proposed by Republicans ever come to pass, a new level of poverty unseen in modern times will force Republicans and their voters to come to their senses.
It’s a pretty rapid process to fall into poverty, but it takes decades to climb out. In the coming months, we will see this come to pass from the party of family values. Evidently, the families of billionaires and millionaires are valued above all.
BOB LOWTHER, DALLAS
Doing good for climate also benefits economy
Think of a “tipping point” as what happens when we rock over a vending machine to retrieve a stuck candy bar, “Scientists use math to detect signs of climate ‘tipping points’” (Solutions, Jan. 9). If we push it beyond its ‘tipping point,’ the machine will fall over.
Scientists fear that if we push global warming too far, the Earth could tip over into a “hothouse Earth” climate in which human civilization would struggle to survive. Because they don’t know where the tipping point is, scientists urge us to keep global warming as low as possible.
So far, our attempts to avoid climate catastrophe have proved beneficial to the Georgia economy, promoting new solar farms and electric vehicle plants. Now the omnibus spending bill just passed by the U.S. Congress includes the Growing Climate Solutions Act, which will help farmers earn revenue by sequestering carbon. Let’s continue to do well for Georgia by doing good for the climate.
DAN EVERETT, ATHENS
