Readers write
Court turns back clock on minority voting rights
Sixty-one years after seeing African American voting rights restored, once again, the Supreme Court has turned the clock back with a double-talking disenfranchisement scheme years in the making.
The reverse discrimination argument would be laughable if it weren’t so diabolical in its effect. Privileged white justices and Clarence Thomas put their “see no evil” blinders on to tell us that racial discrimination does not exist. It’s as if they think “partisan gerrymandering” is not code for eliminating African American elected officials.
Like all the other racist dog whistles generated by white supremacists, “partisan gerrymandering” is not that hard to figure out when one sees the predictable outcomes in Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida — and Georgia soon enough.
This Supreme Court has decided not to see. On behalf of other white people who do see, I ask forgiveness from my African American friends and neighbors for letting disenfranchisement happen again.
FRANK RUECHEL, KENNESAW
Campaign promises need fact-checking
I am fed up with political candidates running on empty promises. For instance, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor promised to “throw property taxes in the shredder.” Obviously, he does not know the role of lieutenant governor.
Like the U.S. vice president, the Georgia lieutenant governor is president of the state Senate and can vote only to break ties. He cannot introduce legislation. Property taxes are determined by multiplying the county-assessed value by a fixed rate (40%) set by state law. The county or city then applies a millage rate to determine the actual property tax. The lieutenant governor is not involved in any of this.
Other Republicans running for governor are promising to “deport or depart” illegal aliens. The governor cannot do either one.
Someone needs to fact-check candidate promises.
EDWIN PRINCE, SUWANEE
Sales tax alone won’t cover state’s expenditures
Responding to the letter-writer who now lives in Florida because the income tax in Georgia was too high (“Reduced income tax is still too much,” May 15) — for someone who could afford buying a second home in Florida and moving there to avoid paying income tax in Georgia, you should be ashamed of yourself, complaining about taxes.
Sales tax, which you now feel proud that you pay, is not enough to cover all the expenditures that are needed to run a livable state. Taxes, including income tax, are a legitimate source of revenue for a state that strives to provide services to all its citizens, even those who cannot afford them.
ODED BOROWSKI, DECATUR
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