Recall effort inflames hate
I am so sickened and disgusted by the homophobia and hate-mongering that is at work in our city.
Chattanooga has some very real problems: homelessness, gun violence, gang warfare and social injustice to name a few. But it seems that Charlie Wysong and his band of modern day Pharisees want to focus our attention on Chris Anderson and the domestic partnership benefits proposal.
Members of this recall effort have now pulled out the race card. But let's be honest. This issue is not about race. It is about homophobia. Do we really want Chattanooga to be like this? I pray not. The world only spins forward. We should all be aware of what this is really about.
BR. RON FENDER, Chattanooga
When it's cold, wear more clothes
I was appalled to read that CHA residents were complaining about the new thermostats.
I worked 51 years, so I am one of the "older" citizens. I remember times when ice formed on the inside of the bedroom windows, certainly not 75 degrees back then. I now keep my thermostat at 65 degrees in the winter and 77 in the summer.
I do not sit in my thin pajama bottoms and sleeveless T-shirt in the winter like the picture of Sally Harper. I wear a turtle neck and heavy sweaters, socks and fleece pants. If the windows rattle and the wind blows, get up and put plastic over the windows.
Don't wait for someone else to take care of you. I applaud CHA and their trying to rein in costs. My taxes can be used in better ways than heating subsidized apartments above 75 degrees.
SUE ISON, South Pittsburg, Tenn.
Bicycles and their costs
It was with great relief when I read that Chattanooga's Director of Transportation, Mr. Blythe Bailey, leaped to the defense of Bike Chattanooga.
Up until that point I was gravely concerned with the simple math of this enlightened endeavor. So far ($2,386,000), including overhead, each bicycle cost $7,953!
We can also calculate this progressive achievement as costing a subsidy of $59.65 per trip or even better, $238.60 per customer. I felt foolish thinking that this same money could have bought 23,860 bikes at $100 each.
Wow, what a waste that would have been. But, since this is in line with the colossal waste of money executed by similarly sized cities, I can sleep well at night knowing that the folks hired by the city are such careful stewards of the folks' hard- earned resources.
MONTY HUMPHREYS