Letters to the Editor

Ford seeks to rise above tide

Last Wednesday morning, a man from Memphis did exactly what everyone expected him to do: file papers to become the next United States Senator from Tennessee ("Harold Ford seeks Senate seat," May 26, p. 5).

Harold Ford Jr.'s five terms in the House make him the obvious choice for Democrats looking to bring a bit more dignity to our representation in Washington. Sen. Bill Frist, already scheming for his run in 2008, has allowed himself to be swept away in the tidewaters of the radical right, becoming another "yes-man" for the president. It saddens me to see a statesman with so much dignity and service to Tennesseans succumb to that, but hope is on the way.

Bob Davis, the Tennessee GOP chair, playfully dismissed Ford's bid, saying that he "has no idea of how to run a campaign on this level. A House district in Memphis is one thing; running statewide is a total different ballgame."

Republicans want to talk about a horserace while the Democrats want to talk about the issues. It's a strategy that certainly grabs more headlines. The arrogance of the party is astounding; where issue polls within the margin of error become banners of success, while anything stacked against them, like their job approval ratings, go quietly ignored.

Keep bluffing, Bob. It is going to become very apparent that Ford's message of strength and values has just as much appeal in Shelby County as in does in Knox and the other 93 counties across the state.

37221

Stephen M. Yeargin

Other options

Mayor Purcell recently indicated that Davidson County's local sales tax option and property taxes must be substantially increased to fund a 3 percent across-the-board pay raise for Metro government employees.

There may be other options.

Instead of raising property and sales taxes for everyone in Davidson County, part of the proposed 3 percent salary increase could be a discount of property taxes for Metro employees whose primary residence is in Davidson County. After all, a precedent exists for this since Dell Computer, Gaylord Entertainment and Bud Adams' Titans were given special tax deals as an incentive to locate in Nashville. A property tax discount might also attract some of the approximately 10 percent of Metro employees who reside out of the county to relocate to Nashville.

Another portion of the Metro pay raise could consist of a rebate of some of Davidson County's local sales tax. Metro employees who have proof of purchase of items from businesses located inside Davidson County could receive a tax refund. Although a rebate cap would probably have to be established, this local sales tax relief would have the added benefit of helping local businesses attract customers.

Obviously this approach would not result in the usual type of salary increase but it does achieve the goal of putting more money into an employee's wallet. If the legalities are plausible and the workers' unions are agreeable, this alternative might help avoid or minimize tax increases for the citizens of Nashville.

37214

Kevin Edwards

Saddam's shorts

For the average American, all the excitement and outrage over a picture of Saddam Hussein in his shorts is hard to understand. What does it matter what this murderous thug is wearing? Compare this with the pictures of foreigners with their heads chopped off and resting on their chests, or dead foreigners swinging on ropes from bridges. I don't believe that the average Iraqi regards such atrocities with any more approval than we do.

Much of the ill feelings between countries is from differences in culture and customs, and simply never having gotten to know any foreigner personally. How would it be if a program such as 20/20 were to gather several families of Americans or British or other nationalities who have lost loved ones in the fighting as well as a similar number of Iraqi families and let them talk to each other in an international "town hall" meeting? Do you know the family background of even one Iraqi soldier killed in action? What of his parents, his wife, his children? What are their feelings? I think this could draw all of us together in a meaningful relationship that could last for years.

37212

William Carrell

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