Friday, January 1, 1904
Ever since the Patten Towers residents were herded out of their homes, leaving behind necessary personal items such as eyeglasses, photo IDs, false teeth, prescription medicines, wallets and other vital daily needs - probably never to see them again - our local social services organizations have been too-thinly stretched. This will continue for weeks, if not months.
We care about our fellow citizens - the elderly, physically and/or mentally handicapped, some in wheelchairs and on walkers - whose lives have been disrupted by PK Management's willful negligence. PK gives the words "absentee landlord" a new meaning.
Metropolitan Ministries has been involved since the displacement began. Our mission is to prevent homelessness. We continue to help the residents, some of whom are in hotels, and others who are sheltered by family and friends. Last week our organization paid for prescription medicines and vouchers to the Chattanooga Food Bank for dozens. Many of the residents have been to us before and are known to us. They are fragile and live frugally, as they must.
Please visit our web site at www.met-min.org, or our Facebook page. Help is needed today and for many tomorrows.
SALLY DURAND
I recall reading that GE's tax return in a recent year stacked about 5 feet tall. When a GE representative was asked why GE didn't pay any tax, she reportedly replied, "Because we didn't owe any."
The photo in your commentary shows Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., holding up his Apple iPhone as he "presses Apple CEO Tim Cook for answers about how Apple holds a billion dollars in an Irish subsidiary as a tax strategy."
On the same day, the editorial, "Washington drowns Americans with a flood of regulations, costs" points out: "Tax compliance accounts for one-sixth the total cost of regulation - more than $300 billion."
Perhaps the senators and congressmen should press themselves for answers about how our current tax system has become so convoluted. Apple is only playing by the rules Congress devised.
WARREN SHARP
I am not an atheist, but it was amusing to me that the small group of Bible thumpers wanted equal time with books of atheists in Georgia's state-owned cabins.
The atheist book is the history of real people. The other Bible is a book of Jewish history. The book of Bible thumpers is simply a book of opinions. There is no comparison.
I believe thumpers who push their opinions on everyone else are very insecure in their belief. Insecure people always have to be the center of attention and usually try to put other people down. If they were secure in their beliefs, it wouldn't matter if there wasn't anything in the cabins.
Thumpers, you can sell your book in stores, but don't try to push your beliefs onto others.
DENNIS BROWN, Cloudland, Ga.