Fund helps many with nowhere to go
Thank you, Chattanooga, in advance for your gifts to the Times Free Press Neediest Cases fund.
Partnership is honored to work with the Chattanooga Times Free Press each year to administer this fund helping local neighbors in need.
We are proud that 100 percent of every dollar given to the fund goes to individuals and families in our community who often have nowhere else to turn to for the basic necessities of life. When other resources have been exhausted, the Neediest Cases fund has always been there.
The stories you will read this holiday season are about real people who benefited from the generosity of many. These stories reflect the triumph of more than 500 individuals helped by the fund this past year alone.
The fund is blessed to have grown each year, thanks to the philanthropic nature Chattanooga has always been known for, and also in large part to an anonymous donor who continues to be a hero to many who receive help from the fund.
We are grateful to help donors fulfill their wishes to help others, and we are dutiful in carrying out those wishes in a way that offers "wrap-around" support for those in need so they may be empowered to achieve lasting stability.
SANDRA L. HOLLETT
Chief Executive Officer
Partnership for Families,
Children and Adults
Kardashian wedding boosted economy
"$$ Kardashian $10 million wedding not wasted."
Money put into commerce is not "wasted." Whoever wrote that "rant" (Nov. 20) about the $10 million Kim Kardashian "wasted" on her wedding spectacular did not think it through to its ultimate consequence.
That $10 million was paid to a great many people to work the event, a lot of suppliers who hired people, paid musicians, bought flowers, glassware, silverware, pots, pans and paper goods which gave the factory workers who produced that goods and bought meat and produce which put money in the pockets of the farmers, the cooks and the wait people.
All of these people spent the money they received for services and goods, which gave work to other people, who, in turn, spent their earnings on more goods and services which ultimately fed thousands of children. To sum it up: That $10 million went into commerce, which created jobs.
That money was not "wasted." Kim Kardashian created jobs which Congress mandated but hasn't been able to do.
SELMA CASH PATY
Corporations aren't people
This is a country that has, from its very inception, professed itself to be of the people, by the people and for the people.
Corporations are entities, not people. They have no heart, and they never fought, bled or sacrificed for our freedoms, or protected our way of life. They have no loved ones, no dreams, and no goals other than to continue to bloat and swell their own assets, regardless of our costs.
America was founded so that free people can live the American Dream of a free and independent nation.
The first government of its kind, America is still growing into the shape cast by the righteous mold of its infancy. American people dream to be free of tyranny -- including financial tyranny.
I implore Congress not to help suck the life out of America by exacerbating the financial anemia of her suffering population, by protecting the interests of corporate entities at our expense -- the free people, created equals in the eyes of God.
Corporate entities do not pray to, serve or love God. The corporate entities have no stories to tell that will inspire our future generations. People do. Support the 99 percent!
NANCY J. BELL
Red Bank
Campaign shows moral degeneracy
The Republican presidential campaign between dumb and "dumber" is predictive of a bleak future for America. This collection of lichspitals for the rich promises more of the same formula that has brought America to the brink of disaster; more tax cuts for the rich, more tax increases for the poor, and more income inequality.
Their mindset is reptilian. If you are unemployed, it's because you are lazy. If you are without health care, it's your tough luck.
Their central tenet of foreign policy is torture. Their plan for solving our nation's problems is to do nothing and proclaim that our only salvation is the private sector.
But the most disturbing part of these proceedings is the behavior of Republican audiences at the debates. They cheer the idea that someone will die for lack of medical care. They boo an armed services member when he asks a question about "don't ask..." They cheer human beings being put to death.
On display is a moral degeneracy that has infested our society. This degenerate minority is a cancer on the face of our nation. Most of them would claim to be Christian and supporters of family values.
TERRY STULCE
School overreacted toward Paterno
Penn State owes Joe Paterno reinstatement and a public apology.
An analogy: You are the shop boss of a store that sells and installs tires. One of your people tells you that he saw a fellow worker put an expensive tire in the truck of his car. You report it to the store manager. Would you also call the police?
Penn State is guilty of a "quick-do something" overreaction.
ROBERT F. CAHILL
Hixson
Send a message, reject incumbents
Our government is failing us, but who is to blame for it?
Voters, that's who. Voters put those people in office, and voters are the only ones who can fix this problem.
The problem is that the people in elected office have lost sight of who they are working for. They are so busy raising campaign funds and self-serving deals they don't have the time or the interest to do the people's business.
Our economy, for the common man, is in disarray, our infrastructure is in need of attention, our education system is failing us, our system of taxation is in need of a total makeover. Think about it. Has your government done anything constructive about these issues (forget about Solyndra)?
So what's the fix? It's really simple. For the next three election cycles don't vote for any incumbents. That will cover three congressional and two presidential elections, and even as self-serving and thick-headed as politicians are, they will get the message that the tail doesn't wag the dog.
MORRIS HICKOX
Hixson
Recycle Congress and president
In my opinion, our president and Congress are fully responsible for the mess our country is in.
With record-high unemployment, massive deficits, widespread political corruption and rising cost of living. I have a few questions for our D.C. public servants.
Questions:
In three years, why has the government workforce grown by 12 percent when many experts put civilian unemployment combined with underemployment at 18 percent-20 percent?
Why does our government collect an average of 48 cents/gallon of gas, oil companies profit 2 cents-7 cents/gallon and we investigate the oil companies?
Why does the federal government borrow 42 cents on every dollar it spends?
Why are we having protests and riots against capitalism that made this country great?
Why are most of the spending cuts scheduled over the next 10 years? What about this year?
Why were 80,000 pages of new regulations written by the bureaucrats last year? Those regulations are destroying small business.
Why do we have a $133,000 debt for each taxpayer? Our federal government goes after money like sharks to blood.
Why are average housing prices down 27 percent across the country?
The answer: Go green. Recycle Congress and the president in 2012!
E. LEE GERALDSON
Harrison