Natural gas should be part of clean energy future
The bridge fuel for a clean energy future is natural gas. America has over 200 years of natural gas and could supply all nations worldwide with the right infrastructure. Currently, the top 9 developing countries outside the U.S. are on schedule to build 1,700-plus coal-fired power plants, which will further degrade the atmosphere. If we could convert all 1,700 coal plants to natural gas it would be like converting every car in the U.S. to EV. The future is nuclear, natural gas and solar. Every other option will not meet the world’s energy needs.
JOE MONACO, OXFORD
Deplorable housing started with government-run system
The AJC’s recent articles about the deplorable state of public housing are not new information.
These types of apartments were horrible in the 1970s, but the only difference was that they were owned and managed by governmental groups like the Atlanta Housing Authority.
Clearly, the government was not competent to manage, and housing was demolished. The decision was made to privatize “affordable housing.” The problem is there is no such thing as affordable housing. If the government wants to control quality, density, safety, tenant management, etc., it should operate its own affordable housing units.
Let government demonstrate to us peons and fools the correct way to build better, bigger houses at lower cost and show us how to control roving gangs outside apartment doors.
When that happens, prosecutors won’t have to threaten private business owners with confiscating their property because the government doesn’t like how it’s managed.
This is another example of an incompetent government blaming businesses for a mess created and sustained by the government itself.
GEOFFREY MACK, BUFORD
Kirby’s new contract shows UGA’s misspent priorities
So the University of Georgia is paying their football coach $112.5 million over a 10-year period to manage their program.
Foolish me, I always thought the purpose of a university was to educate, and that should be the thrust of their mission. While football may be a diversion, and yes, perhaps even a money maker and provider of bragging rights for the institution, to divert such a huge expenditure to a football coach is a travesty of educational funds.
For a private enterprise to make such financial decisions is the free market; for a state educational entity to do so is a travesty. If the “paltry” $7.1 million per year salary Mr. Smart received last year is unacceptable to him, I suggest he find other employment, and UGA find a better way to spend available money!
MICHAEL L. SHAW, STONE MOUNTAIN
Women voters can help upend anti-abortion laws
The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and gave states the power to implement draconian anti-abortion laws. Their ruling cannot be challenged legally. We’re stuck with the reality that women in many states live now under Taliban-like repression of a woman’s right to control her own body.
The Georgia House voted 92-78 to approve the anti-abortion “heartbeat” bill. It takes 91 votes for a bill to pass in the House and be sent to the Senate. The Senate voted 34-18 to pass the bill. When the legal challenge was overturned, our current governor rushed to sign the bill and our current attorney general rushed to implement it.
Justice Alito’s majority opinion on Roe stated: “Women are not without electoral or political power. It is noteworthy that the percentage of women who register to vote and cast ballots is consistently higher than the percentage of men who do so.”
My plea to Georgia women: Register to vote. Do it now. Then vote. Vote ‘em out.
KATHLEEN COLLOMB, DECATUR
