Why the South remains poor
The biggest political lie of 2014 must be Sen. Bob Corker's statement that VW's new SUV line would be announced for Chattanooga with certainty, within two weeks, if the UAW was rejected by its employees. Don't insult our intelligence or the intelligence of Volkswagen officials for thinking the unprecedented coercion by [voices] wouldn't suggest an appeal. VW's corporate board that votes on such matters is half labor and half corporate represented. The threats made by lawmakers such as Bo Watson and Tennessee's other state legislative clowns may incite one or more corporate members of the world's third largest automotive producers to forget the South altogether. The southern United States was the last section of the industrialized world to have actually fought a war for the right of the wealthiest to enslave workers. The Southerner still elects the wealthiest (Sen. Corker, one of the top 15 wealthiest U.S. senators) to fight against the minimum wage, workers' rights and health care for the poor. It's no wonder why the South has the highest rate of poverty and is the most uneducated and unhealthy region of the country.
JOHN MARK DAVIS, Ringgold, Ga.
ACA facts and myths
With the national deadline to sign up for health insurance just around the corner, it seems there are still quite a few ridiculous rumors about the Affordable Care Act. One rumor is that the ACA raises insurance rates. Quite the opposite, the ACA was enacted to prevent insurance companies from doing just that to women, people who have pre-existing conditions and people not in great health. However, some people have seen their insurance premiums go up. This is because their existing policies were substandard to begin with, and since the ACA has forced insurance companies to sell only policies that are worth something, some may have to pay a little more than they did before. Some conservative companies are using scare tactics to persuade their employees that "Obamacare" is evil. In fact, one local company told its employees their new insurance would run about $265/month and would not cover appointments or prescriptions. However, one of those employees then went to www.healthcare.gov/marketplace and found a much better policy for only $117 that did cover appointments and prescriptions. Please do not forget there are subsidies that will reduce premiums, especially for individuals making less than $46,021 or families of four making less than $93,700.
JENNIFER MITTS, Hixson