Treatment of election workers is appalling
The hearings of the Jan. 6 committee have left me discouraged with how close we came to losing what democracy we have. I was especially appalled by what I learned of the FBI’s and other responses to the threats on the lives and well-being of government officials and election workers. Even before the hearings, I’ve heard next to nothing about attempts to find and arrest those who have made the threats or even those who have broken into homes.
Were the workers given extra -- or any -- protection? Was anyone arrested? Were the threatened individuals offered assistance in finding or paying for a refuge from the threats? When the government gives witnesses protection, aren’t they treated far better?
It was, after all, the president of the country and his lawyer who were siccing their threatening followers on these workers, even though investigators had determined the workers were only doing their jobs to make an election run smoothly.
LINDA BELL, DECATUR
Airport project another example of excess government spending
The story about the Plane Train extension (Metro, June 19) seemed to report the only value of the new $331-million project is a shaving of 18 seconds off the wait for a train at the airport. Maybe I missed some greater good. Otherwise, this is akin to the bridge to nowhere.
The 2021 financial statements of the U.S. government show assets of $5 trillion and liabilities of $35 trillion. More alarming, the present value of the annual excess of spending other than interest over revenues for the next 75 years is $98 trillion, while the net worth of all Americans combined is roughly $100 to $150 trillion. This means roughly all personal wealth needs to be consumed over the next 75 years to cover current government programs.
I’d bet a large chunk or perhaps all of the $331 million came from the federal government. We need to stop doing these things.
ALLEN BUCKLEY, ATLANTA
