Readers Write: Sept. 23

Amendment more about money than education

After being married for 30 years to one of the many thousands of incredible Georgia public school teachers, I see firsthand how hard they work. And I’ve come to realize that public schools always seem to get the short end of the stick. Public schools are the first place budgets are slashed when they should be the last. And that public schools, their teachers, staff and BOEs are constantly scrutinized and vilified by politicians with ulterior motives. And those motives are almost always revolving around money, hidden agendas, greed and power. Amendment 1 on Georgia’s November ballot exemplifies this fact. If passed, our public schools and our tax dollars will begin to be handed over to for-profit corporations. And their goal will be to keep as many of those tax dollars for themselves that they possibly can.

We need to stop these people who would rather put our tax dollars in their pockets than help a struggling public school kid in a poor neighborhood find a purpose.

DAVE REED, WOODSTOCK

Gas debacle is free market at its worst

What other industry but the gasoline business could have a disaster (the pipeline failure ) and profit from the consequences. The pipeline company is a virtual state monopoly, so they don’t suffer from the normal market competitive forces, like actually losing business. And the gas retailers “make hay” by raising prices or, additionally, forcing customers to buy premium grade fuel, as regular grade runs out as a result of the usual buying public panic. The bottom line is the distribution and retail gas companies will profit and the ordinary motorist is the innocent victim.

IAN SHAW, CUMMING