3-1 Letters to the editor

Make our streets safe again

Macon needs more speed control on its residential streets. I live on a residential street just off of one of Macon’s major roads, and I can’t begin to count the number of times I or a neighbor have almost been hit by a speeding car that wasn’t visible when we began pulling out of our driveways.

The speed limit on our road is 25 mph. No vehicle traveling the speed limit would pose a danger to someone attempting to leave their house, and yet it happens all the time. There have even been accidents on my street caused by drivers exceeding the posted speed limit, and yet the city of Macon has cast a blind eye on my street and many like it.

This lack of attention is unacceptable when there are simple solutions so readily available. A speed bump or radar-posting speed sign could bring safety to the residents of these streets. That members of Macon’s government fail to address the safety concerns of Macon citizens is heavily disheartening, and something I hope changes in the near future.

Paul King, Macon

If you don’t vote, don’t complain

We know that Russia is pouring its energies into the campaigns of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump.

Should that tell us something about who we should not vote for in the 2020 election? Russian oligarchs support Sanders and Trump because they will “disrupt” our system. Let’s confound the Russians. Let’s choose someone who can work “in the system” to make us a better nation.

Study the candidates. Find one who understands and appeals to most Americans and go out and vote. If you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to complain.

Tom Woodbery, Macon

Debates should be accessible

Why do we have debates in America when all the information we need is at our fingertips? The truth is, debates has had a major effect on the current outlook of the presidential election. We have seen major swings in momentum for candidates, like Pete Buttigeg and Amy Klobuchar, as a direct result of debates.

On the other hand, we have seen major falls because of poor performances in debates. We have witnessed major shifts for Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren, both United States senators running for president, based on their strong performances in New Hampshire and Nevada. When Warren was dubbed as the winner of the debate last week in Nevada, her new-found momentum trumped a poor performance in New Hampshire.

There is, however, a problem with debates. While they are nationally broadcast, they do not reach all of the American people. We have people who are not completely educated on who they are voting for. If you do not have Internet or television, you do not have access to them (debates). If you have work, you may miss them. If we really believe that they are important, then why can’t make them accessible to everyone?

It is essential that we are educated in our vote, and that is why debates are so important. We should let nothing suppress our ability to get knowledge about our political candidates. Not having CNN or MSNBC should not affect my ability to understand our election.

David Varner, Barnesville, Ga.

Bring drug prices under control

Growing up with diabetes, the extremely high costs of pharmaceuticals, specifically, prescription drugs have had an effect on my life. It’s disappointing to know that some who are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes will suffer due to the outrageous prices on pharmacy drugs, and technology that supports proper care of this disability.

Over the past six years, the cost of prescription drugs has increased dramatically. There is a study that found a substantial industry-wide rise in costs for prescription drugs, highlighting a major problem in the health-care industry today: unrestricted price increases in the pharmaceutical market. In the study, researchers analyzed Blue Cross-Blue Shield pharmacy claims from 2012-2017, focusing on brand-name drugs.

Overall, the average cost of the drugs included in the study increased by 76 percent. Insulin drugs such as Novolog, Humalog, and Lantus had some of the largest increases in costs. According to NBC News, “The cost of insulin for treating Type 1 diabetes in the United States nearly doubled over a recent five-year period, underscoring a national outcry over rising drug prices.”

If the cost of products and pharmaceuticals does not drastically decrease, people will not be able to afford the necessary prescriptions and could, in turn, result in suffering or death. More and more people in the United States are being diagnosed with diabetes, and the prices are only rising. If there isn’t a stop to this trend, there will be dire consequences in the near future.

Isaac Waldman, Macon

Making an impact, Mercer-style

Mercer on Mission is a fantastic program that allows students to use their skills in productive ways and positively impact communities overseas.

That said, Mercer’s focus on these programs overshadows opportunities that students have to make an impact right here in Macon. Right now, students often have to seek out opportunities on their own if they want to volunteer or do some sort of community service within Macon. A program like Mercer on Mission, where students would be connected to service opportunities in Macon through Mercer, would be a simple-yet-effective way to increase student involvement within the city of Macon.

Right now there is a program called MerServe that focuses on these very service opportunities, but the main issue with this program is that it is not presented to students the same way the Mercer on Mission program is. Students at Mercer are often incentivized to participate in Mercer on Mission through their classrooms as well as many other avenues — avenues that are not currently utilized by the MerServe Program.

Many students are not even aware of the MerServe program. If Mercer was able to increase the visibility of MerServe, it could give students another avenue to use their talents constructively and further increase their commitment to the city of Macon.

Matt Purlee, Macon

Preserve rights of rural property owners

I live near the Pure Flavor greenhouse, a new and large agricultural facility. The light pollution escaping from the nearby facility has impacted our lives. We no longer have crisp night skies. Those skies have been replaced with a persistent radiant orange glow that extends for miles. Our only protection for our community is a state nuisance law.

HB 545 will put existing farmers and rural property owners in the untenable position of being able to legally fight future big agriculture.. Local communities would be limited in legal methods to prevent environmental damage. Chronic pollution from large facilities (hog or cattle lagoon) can enter our waterways at legal rates over long periods of time, ruining the environment for future generations. As stewards of the land we have a duty to ensure that future generations inherit a better future.

Passing of HB545 will only weaken the rural economic and lifestyle opportunities of the future citizens of Georgia. We care about our current rights, our property values, and those of people that come after us. Why anyone with legislative power would vote for a bill that takes away the rights from rural property owners and gives power to big businesses is perplexing to me. Those representatives were voted into power to protect and serve the people. Please consider the common man and citizens of our great state.

Chris Kalejta, Fort Valley

Address Macon’s homeless population

Macon’s homelessness is a solvable problem, and cooperating with the community to efficiently and effectively get people back into the workforce and homed will help address Macon’s homelessness issue.

Every other year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires communities nationwide to establish a number for their homeless populations to assess needs and measure progress. This means that “all homeless service providers must conduct a regular homeless census, called a Point-In-Time (PIT) count,” conducted during the last 10 days of January in odd years. However, the HUD’s PIT count isn’t accurate in measuring homeless. In fact, HUD’s Point-in-Time count is wildly off.

In Macon-Bibb County combined, there are 361 homeless people as measured by HUD’s PIT count that were considered homeless in 2019 . If HUD’s measurements are truly miscounted, Macon’s true homeless population is over 1,000 people. By intervening with each person individually, Macon will be able to address specific problems, and have accurate data, allowing the city to know the exact amount of resources they need to rehabilitate the homeless. Through cooperation with community members, Macon will be able to decrease their homeless population. Homelessness is not a hopeless situation, especially in Macon.

Parker Knight, Macon