Small businesses shouldn’t wait any longer for infrastructure reform
When I started my small martial arts business in Atlanta more than 13 years ago, I knew I wanted to create tomorrow’s leaders. I recognized that disinvestment in one area negatively impacts another, and unfortunately, that negative impact was often felt more in underserved communities. That’s why I’m urging Congress to stop the obstructive cycle of disinvestment in infrastructure and shore up the resources needed to withstand the next economic crisis.
Congress must forget about political theatrics. Instead, think about the 1 million small businesses in Georgia and the millions more across the country that would benefit from the bipartisan infrastructure plan. Instead of supporting infrastructure reform at the scale necessary to keep our small businesses afloat and compete on a level playing field, they have chosen to jockey for political supremacy.
Much-needed infrastructure reform is now facing an uncertain future, and we need our elected officials to put their differences aside and pass this legislation now.
RENARD BEATY, ATLANTA
Draft might make us appreciate our freedom
For the sake of our country, let’s bring back the draft. We have developed a generation of spoiled individuals who have never done anything for their country. Sadly, many of these hold public office.
They somehow feel that the government can not tell them to do anything. This is currently being demonstrated by the anti-vaccine oratory. If we had a draft, the country would have been out of Afghanistan 10 years ago. The mothers of children being drafted would have never put up with it. Now we go to war by proxy with others paying the price for freedom. If people had to serve their country, they would not take their freedom for granted.
JIM BAILEY, ATLANTA
Poverty is not the reason people commit crimes
The front page of the AJC on July 20 contains another article about the region’s crime surge (”Crime poses crucial test in mayoral race”).
An Atlantic Station resident is quoted as saying the rise in violent crime is a result of Atlanta’s growth as a tourist city, which has led to gentrification and increased poverty. “People are out of jobs and what comes with that is crime.”
I disagree. This is an insult to the majority of poor people who do not commit crimes and have never even considered doing so. People do not commit crime because they lack money; they commit crime because they lack values.
A. FREEDMAN, STONE MOUNTAIN
Carbon Dividend Act a good tool to fight climate change
The apocalyptic floods in Europe provide more evidence of the need to incentivize renewables.
Amazingly, in the U.S. - a top global carbon polluter - it’s free to emit carbon.
Of all the world’s developed economies, only Australia and the U.S. have no nationwide carbon pricing in place. Insurance companies and the US taxpayer are still picking up the cost of damage by hurricanes, wildfires, droughts and floods.
A tool that deserves consideration is the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 2307) which places a gradually increasing fee on the extraction of fossil fuels, returning the fee to U.S. households.
Pricing carbon incentivizes renewables on the free market. A more stable climate benefits taxpayers as well as corporations.
The sooner we reduce carbon, the better. Georgia’s newly won SK Innovations $5 billion EV battery factory in Commerce shows the promise of a sustainable technology future.
EMILY HIRN, ATLANTA
