Get new politicians to reverse course

I will commend the great job the editorial writer of the Free Press side of this newspaper is doing and also the commentators of Thomas Sowell and Cal Thomas. Keep up the great work of informing the people.

I hope and pray that "We the People" will listen and follow through with electing politicians who will get our country back on track with what our Founding Fathers meant for it to be.

I do not want the government taking over and telling us every move to make, which is what it is going to be if we don't get rid of that majority who is in Congress today.

The president is surrounded and taking advice from people who want to turn our country into a socialist or communist country. It will be election time soon, so let's make the change needed to turn our country back around.

There are a few things about our state policies that I don't agree with and one of them is the traffic camera situation. We need the people in power at the state level to pass a law that will set the maximum fine at one cent so they will stop this fee grabbing.

PHIL KENNEMORE

New Hope, Tenn.

Alexander backed separate benefit bill

A letter to the editor (March 5) raised some questions about Sen. Lamar Alexander's support for unemployment benefits. Sen. Alexander knows that many Tennesseans are struggling to find work, as our state continues to suffer from its highest unemployment rates in a quarter century. That's why last week he voted for legislation that would have extended unemployment benefits without adding to the national debt, which already exceeds $12.5 trillion -- more than $40,000 for each American citizen. However, he voted against a competing proposal to extend unemployment benefits because it wasn't paid for and added billions to the debt.

MATT SONNESYN

Legislative Director,

Sen. Lamar Alexander

Washington, D.C.

Replace board in teacher firings

Re: Firing all teachers in one Rhode Island school (editorial, March 9).

Sounds to me as if the school board should be replaced. Who hired these treachers?

Surely there had to be some teachers who were doing their job. If not, surely those not doing their job should have been noticed and replaced last school year.

That community might do well to look at this more closely. Some board members may be at risk.

JIM TALLEY

Spring City, Tenn.

Little folks facing financial chasm

Headline of the Saturday (March 6) Chattanooga Times Free Press, "City stares at money hole." Well, welcome to the club. It seems everything I buy has gone up: my water bill, my sewer bill, stormwater, gasoline, food bill, heating bill is out of sight. Property tax went up last year, now the city wants to increase it again.

I pay almost $5,000 a year now. I am 84 years old. Local politicians say they can't find time to freeze the tax for old folks.

The Washington politicians say I don't need a raise in Social Security for two years (while they gave themselves a $5,000 raise a year, for two years and raided $2 trillion of Social Security money over the last 15 years. Oh, I forgot, they left their IOUs in the lock box).

Obama wants a big tax increase to pay for Washington's waste tactics.

All of us little folks are not staring at a hole; we are staring at a monster "chasm."

VINCE PATTERSON

Signal Mountain

Never quit quitting the smoking habit

More than 50 percent of adult smokers made a quit attempt for at least one day in the last year. The desire to stop may be triggered by a family physician, ever-increasing prices, a child's request, or perhaps the inconvenience of fewer places one can comfortably smoke. Without a doubt, quitting may be significantly helped with the correct information, a plan, and good support.

Quitting is a process rather than an action. If you want to stop, prepare yourself with basic information, a willingness to get support, and by knowing what to do when a "craving" occurs.

Over 40 million people have successfully stopped smoking, the great majority without medicine, nicotine patches, or gum. Stopping is very doable. "Staying stopped," however, requires a decision, personal commitment, a willingness to be uncomfortable for brief periods over several days, and planned self-care.

Speak with your physician, use nicotine support groups, or call the free Quit Line (800-784-8669) or the local Tobacco Prevention Program (209-8285). Seek coaching/professional support from informed sources.

If you had short-term success before, consider it a learning experience. It does not predict what you can do now. Never quit quitting.

JAY COLLUM

Chattanooga-

Hamilton County

Health Department

Why the debate over dancing?

I couldn't believe the article on "Race debate raging over step victory" (Feb. 27). Since when has a dance become copyrighted? The blacks have their Miss America and participate in others, and also have Black History Month, Black Negro College Fund, Black Mayors Convention and on and on. Caucasians and other races don't mind the competition from the blacks so why should they mind the competition?

DON HOFFMAN

Cleveland, Tenn.

Obama ignoring will of the people

My thanks to you for continued emphasis on the unconstitutionality of ObamaCare, while this is largely ignored by the rest of the media. The media centers debate on who and how ObamaCare will be paid for, while the answer is obvious -- all of us will pay through increased costs and taxes while "enjoying" another governmental bureaucracy with the world's best health-care system being destroyed!

Americans do not want ObamaCare and to suffer with government inefficiency and failure of a socialized system of health care. In Tennessee, we have seen the failure in TennCare and the near bankruptcy of the state. Massachusetts now faces the same.

The "evil" insurance companies are being blamed by the Obama team for "profiteering" and denying claims. The profit margin of the insurance industry is less than 3 percent, and if the number of claims denied were totaled for every insurance company, the number would be less than claims denied by Medicare!

Why is Obama blatantly ignoring the will of the American people? The answer is that this is not about health care, it is about government control!

In the words of Communist Lenin: "Socialized medicine is the keystone in the arch of the Socialist state."

MAL C. MAUNEY, O.D.

Crossville, Tenn.