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Letters To The Editor Opinion

Letters to the Editor …

About Jackson Baker’s Politics Blog post, “Judge Joe Brown Uncorks a Shocker, Taunting Weirich About Her Sexuality” …

I’m a 65-year-old African-American male who grew up in Memphis. Anyone who knows Joe Brown knows that if you attack him, duck! They also know his justice is justice and not “just us” and the punishment fits the crime. They also should know Memphis politics, so don’t get caught up in the smoke. Mr. Brown dispenses justice not politics. The power structure in Memphis — primarily white male and home-grown, black point-men can’t get comfortable around him. If you’re a single mother, at or below the poverty line, trying to rear sons, you need Joe Brown; that is if you’re interested in justice.

Sylvester

I actually believe that there are enough decent people in this county, of all races, who will vote against Joe Brown and Henri Brooks. Sure, there will be people who vote for them, but I expect an overwhelming rebuke in a few weeks in August.

Greg Cravens

BJC123

Does this mean that Joe Brown won’t be attending the annual Memphis Pride Parade?

Tom Guleff

About Bianca Phillips’ post, “TVA Proposes Retiring Allen Fossil Plant” …

Wind and solar costs are dropping so fast that the media, let alone our collective consciousness, are having a hard time keeping up with it.

Yes, we need to maintain some local spinning generation capacity to provide power during peak demand and to assure reliability for local industry like Nucor, but we don’t need a full-time gas plant that’s larger than the existing Allen coal plant as TVA prefers.

Scott Banbury

Retiring the coal plant is a big step in the right direction, but cheap natural gas from fracking is not going to last forever. This would be an excellent opportunity for TVA to investigate solar thermal technology. There are new techniques available that can store the heat generated during the daytime to continue producing electricity at night. And if you don’t think solar thermal will work in Memphis, just think about how hot your car gets if you have to park it in the sun in the summertime.

Chris McCoy

About Bruce VanWyngarden’s editor’s column on the city budget …

You need to check your facts on the pension reform. The city wants to put us into a 401(a) program, which has major differences not in our favor. Also, we have offered three scenarios to raise money that would tax visitors to the city more than residents: 1) a gas tax of $0.01 on every gallon sold; 2) a hotel tax of $2 on every $100 spent at a hotel; 3) a 25 percent increase on the sales tax.

As far as raising property tax, the average house in Memphis pays $100, therefore the tax increase would roughly be $5 a month. I am pretty sure citizens would give up a Starbucks latte for police and fire services. 

Lastly, Mayor Wharton and his crew of seven have got to stop spending on projects we don’t have the money for. They need to learn from Mayor Luttrell’s leadership; he suspended capital improvement spending until he balanced the county budget.

Keeley Greer  Officer PII

About Randy Haspel’s Rant on Dick and Liz Cheney …

My stock portfolio soared thanks to Dick Cheney and his little buddy Bush. At the club we figured we profited over $220 million for every American death. You can’t argue with results like that.

Ern

It is a complete waste of time to get worked up about the Cheneys while President Obama continues to prove himself as willing as his predecessor to mire the USA in foreign conflicts and nation-building. He labors under the same delusion as the neo-cons — that “democracy” is workable and ideal, anywhere and everywhere. Even John Kerry is singing a different tune these days than when I voted for him in 2004.

Brunetto Latini

Categories
Letters To The Editor Opinion

What They Said…

Greg Cravens

About Les Smith’s column, “Sounds of Silence” …

Les Smith seems to hate those who have served the city and keeps telling them what wonderful benefits they have. Why don’t you try to actually report on the issue instead of quoting the mayor’s talking points? If you take away the health-care benefits, the city’s benefits are not nearly as good as private industry, even though the pay is much less and the risk is much higher. How many mayors and city councilmen are in a wheelchair or on a breathing machine or have a hip that doesn’t work that they hurt while serving their fellow citizens? 

Let’s compare private sector businesses versus fire department employees: A firefighter’s retirement benefits are about $3,000 a month for life, no current plans for cost of living increases, ever. There is no employee matched 401k and no Social Security benefits. Health-care costs $1,650 per month for a married couple (premier plan). Continuing work-related injuries are very common and not covered.

A typical private employer may not offer a company-funded pension, but employee-matched 401k plans are common at almost every private business. They almost all pay Social Security benefits and health care.

Continuing work-related injuries are covered by Social Security Disability.

Put us on the same benefits as private industry, and you can start by making the city pay Social Security, just like everyone else.

Jim Wilson

About Jackson Baker’s column, “‘Fair Game’ or Smoking Guns in Shelby County Judicial Races” …

A judge is as a judge does. This judicial race should not be about who is a Republican or who is a Democrat. It’s supposed to be a “nonpartisan” race. If members of the executive committee of either party choose to reject the grotesque, self-serving, and corruptive special-interest influences currently being exerted upon all courts in general and the Probate Court in particular, I welcome their endorsement and much-needed support because this judicial election should not be about political parties or individuals running to be officious; it’s about whether or not the candidate will be judicious after he or she is elected.

Lawparks

You have to remember that the official Democratic Party has absolutely no influence and, as long as they act like this, they never will.

Memphis Democrat

About Frank Murtaugh’s column, “USA! USA! Futbol Time in America” …

My opinion is that the drama in the flops has changed from the last World Cup. Still seeing lots of guys who are incredibly clumsy in the box, but the refs seem to ignore most of it.

My favorite is the magic spray. What is it, and how does it cure these guys who get tripped, banged in the shin, etc.? They scream, grab the leg, and writhe on the ground, and the trainer gets out the spray and they are magically all better.

homersimpson

About Greg Akers’ post “Bad Movie Double Feature” …

Gotta check these out; never seen either one. In the meantime, 1970’s Myra Breckinridge gets my vote for worst movie ever. The cast was bizarro: Raquel Welch, Mae West, John Huston, Farrah Fawcett, Jim Backus, Tom Selleck, and even Rex Reed. I’m guessing the casting director was out of his skull on mescaline.

Dave Clancy

On Jackson Baker’s post, “Brooks Ousted But Declines to Go Gentle Into That Good Night” …

My guess is, rules is rules, except for them that make the rules. Long sad tale of Memphis ‘leadership’, no matter what their stripe. The old ones need to go, either side of the bickering.

OakTree

So she’s lived all these places without owning any of them or paying any property taxes to Shelby County? And she votes on property tax rates? Interesting. And no wonder it’s difficult to establish residency.

Brunetto Latini

[Brooks’ opponent] Joy Touliatos needs to buy a Powerball ticket because she has the most amazing good fortune of anyone in Shelby County right now. Autoegocrat