Public option needed for care

It is amazing to us that so many of our fellow citizens "vote" against their own personal interests. Either they don't understand what is going on or just simply ignore the facts. There has been so much vocal opposition to the concept of government involvement in personal medical decision making. Are these folks aware that insurance companies are notorious for their attempting and succeeding in denying treatment to "insureds"?

Both my wife and I are covered by Medicare, a government managed single payer system, and we can vouch for the effectiveness of the program. We have no doubt that it works and has done so for us! We would much rather have that system than having a profit-oriented insurance executive involved in our health care decision process.

Sens. Alexander and Corker and Congressman Wamp are not representing "our" best interests in the health care debate. We need a public option to get the insurance companies' attention!

IRV GINSBURG

Ooltewah

A 'ball game' is a 'ball game'

The recent controversy regarding printing biblical quotations on posters for a ball game is ridiculous. Who would seriously suggest children should invoke the name of God to support of any side of a ball game. Aiding and abetting such by the press should be discouraged. Why not encourage our youth to become compassionate about so many needs of the poor, weak and dispossessed in the world today. It has always been easier to erect a monument than to show compassion.

However, words are just "words" if unaccompanied by words showing inexplicable intent to aid or hinder some religious view. Surely all Americans support total freedom of religion from government interference. This is not a partisan political issue. Public school activities are a state function.

I am an athletic addict, viewing TV football every weekend many hours, but a "ball game" is a "ball game."

THOMAS A. GREER JR.

Dunlap, Tenn.

SS funds should be paid back

Just a few comments about the $250 payment to Social Security recipients.

If the government paid back the monies it "borrowed" from the Social Security fund a few years ago (with interest), I'm sure there would be enough to handle this "payout" as well as future cost of living increases.

The people who have actually paid into that fund for years did so with faith that it would be there when they retired. I, for one, am approaching 60 years of such payments and continue to do so from my part-time work.

Maybe our chant should be "Put our money back, way back."

JIM ORRISON

Cleveland, Tenn.

Religion isn't all there is in life

Religion has no business at a high school football game. If it does, then why limit it to just Christian beliefs? To be fair, it would have to include all denominations including satanic and pagan worship.

Would those of you who support the cheerleaders be upset if they dressed like Druids or bowed three times to the east after a touchdown, or praised Satan for the blocked kick? These things are not encouraging anyone to follow specific beliefs; therefore, if you condone using Bible verses for team support then it must be OK if these other things are used as well, because by your actions you're saying it's OK to bring religion into schools.

Thumpers, get real. Religion isn't everything in life.

RICHARD A. SHANKEN

Rocky Face, Ga.

State sales tax is a fair method

"State's sales tax highest in U.S.," (Oct. 18) stinks of the rhetoric of days gone by. How many times can "non-partisan study," "regressive tax," etc. be regurgitated?

Residents of the Chattanooga community are aware of the tax implications of living and working in Alabama and Georgia as compared to Tennessee. How many working families in the Chattanooga area would prefer the total tax situation of Alabama and Georgia? The story fails to mention Tennessee has no income tax on earned income.

Every resident is a recipient of government services. Everyone should help pay for services. Sales tax is a fair method of distributing the cost of government to citizens according to how much they spend. The total tax picture must be taken into account before deciding whether low-income families are unfairly taxed. Not even an illegal immigrant can avoid this tax.

We should expect an unprecedented desire for more tax revenue by government. Let us pray the economy recovers, citizens will be adequately employed and sales tax revenues will improve. If these things don't occur, we must reduce the services of government to match the existing revenue. Most working citizens already pay too much in combined taxes.

DAVID WELBORN

Tullahoma, Tenn.

Obama employing utopian mentality

President Obama is attempting to use his "community organizer" skills while trampling on Americans just as ACORN bullied the banks.

His attempt to demonize Fox News, the most watched and reliable news, and conservative talk radio is scandalous. His intimidation of those who do not agree with him is unpardonable. He is running the White House with his utopian mentality -- media, health care, climate control, gun control, etc., without consideration to the damage he is doing to this country. His underhanded method of assigning urgency to every issue is only a ploy to reduce opposition to his socialistic agenda.

It is unfortunate that he doesn't have the financial management skills of Romney, Palin or Huckabee as he has never written a paycheck or balanced a budget of any significance; thereby, creating this extreme budget overrun while running this country in the ditch. Wake up, America, before it is too late!

DONALD STEWART SR.

Signal Mountain

Let Georgia cut voter fraud

One of the most upsetting results of the 2008 general election was Minnesota's nine-month-long effort to sort out the Senate contest between Norm Coleman and Al Franken. If it takes the relatively small state of Minnesota so long to verify election results, what hope is there for ensuring the integrity of the vote elsewhere?

You reported recently (Oct. 17) that the U.S. Justice Department has again foiled Georgia's attempts to try to guarantee the integrity of its voter registration lists and the citizenship of its voters. After months of consultation between Georgia officials and DOJ, Justice official Thomas Perez rejected the initiative, asserting Georgia hasn't sufficiently proven that its purpose is not discriminatory nor the effects will not be discriminatory. This is truly amazing! Proving your intent is not discriminatory is like proving a negative -- it can't be done. And as for the effects? Of course it will be discriminatory! The whole purpose is to try to minimize voter fraud and protect the integrity of the vote by discriminating between those who are and are not Georgia citizens. If "discrimination" doesn't occur, then the votes of qualified voters are negated by the fraudulent "votes" of those disqualified to vote. Where's the justice in this?

GARY LINDLEY

Lookout Mountain, Ga.

Rescuer seeks sailors' identities

I, Gilbert Di Lucia, a former lieutenant (jg) in the United States Navy, seek to establish the identity of one sailor who was drowned, and six other sailors I rescued from drowning in Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean in 1954. The group of sailors was swimming against the tide and could not make it back to the beach. I saw them waving and procured a lifeboat and went out and rescued the six men. They were in a state of near exhaustion. The seventh man had gone under and drowned about 20 minutes before the lifeboat arrived. I remember it having been said that the lost man was from Tennessee. I have no other information about the identity of the six other men.

The United States Navy was conducting hydrogen bomb tests in Bikini in 1954, and the men were part of that Navy task force called "Castle."

Anyone having information about the identity of the drowned man or the six rescued men, please contact me by e-mail at gdilucia@hotmail.com or call (917) 684-7473.

GILBERT DI LUCIA

New York, N.Y.

Obama deserves Nobel Prize

I have often expressed my opinion since Barack Obama was elected president that if his only accomplishment was to return good will, respect and confidence in our country from most other countries around the world, he would be a successful president. Evidently, the Nobel Prize committee agreed with me. Obama has brought more hopes for peace with his few months in office than George W. Bush did in his eight years. Of course starting two wars did not help George's image.

I believe Obama deserves his Nobel Peace prize.

MARIANNE DOUGLAS