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RUNNERs’ Rights
In a Nov. 19 letter, Rich Givan states, “people who wish to travel on foot faster than a walk are a crazy bunch.” That pretty much sums up the entire weakness of his argument: Since he doesn’t understand why people run, he dismisses them out of hand.
He equates the poor behavior of some with all members of that group. I can easily give examples of drivers doing all manner of unsafe things: texting, applying makeup, talking on the phone, reading papers, eating and just about anything else one can do while driving. I certainly don’t make the mistake that all automobile operators do this! He states that runners interrupt diners on sidewalks in front of restaurants by running through the crowds. Setting aside that the sidewalk is a public space for all manner of activities, not just commerce, I could just as easily ask why people don’t step aside when they see a runner approach rather than blocking the right of way.
Givan denigrates those he doesn’t agree with and believes runners should be relegated to only running on tracks. Should drivers who speed only operate their cars on a racecourse? Fortunately, people are able to go where they want and the consequences of their behavior left up to law enforcement or luck.
Along with the list of possible maladies [Givan attributes to running], add lower stress, increased endurance and general overall improved mental and physical health. Running helped me lose eighty pounds and get through some difficult periods in my life.
Rich, if you want to swim, sit on the couch or just write snide letters to the editor, that’s your right — that doesn’t mean you know what’s best for everyone else.
Bob Brousseau, 40207
LG&E Raising Rates
As we go about our lives the so called ‘experts’ make decisions about our utilities. LG&E and the Louisville Water Company are raising rates again, acting as if the small, calculated increase is in all our best interest.
The newest reason is ‘infrastructure.’ Well, folks, what have they all been doing for decades upon decades to maintain and improve ‘infrastructure’? Feeding fat pension plans? Paying large bonuses? Buying fleets of new vehicles? Re-branding? Advertising? Sending 3-color mailers when black and white on recycled paper will do?
Easy to operate with little competence as long as you can pass it on in a rate increase! Shame on you governing bodies that support these rate increases.
I say get a table of citizens that have to live with the rate increases at a table with the utilities and I am sure we can come up with solutions that does not include rate increases! After all, we continue to rearrange our budgets without increases in pay to accommodate the never ending increases from utilities!
Maybe we need to get those voting in these decisions out of the positions they are in and get some folks in there that will hold the utilities accountable for decisions that are not in the best interest of the tax-paying consumers!
By the way, don’t bring up what folks pay in any other city in America. We live in Louisville, so that is not an excuse to raise our rates to that of another area! Shame on you all!
Claudette Rego, Old Louisville
Response to Brian Butler
In the Nov. 19 LEO, Brian Butler writes he is deeply concerned about President Obama’s “Machiavellian action.” Did he hear that on The Rush Limbaugh Show? Let’s get back to the real world. My hunch is everyone else sees that Obama is taking whatever executive action on immigration reform the Constitution will allow because Congress would do nothing. Republicans in the lame duck session would filibuster. They’d strangle all attempts to do anything in the next Congress. Public opinion doesn’t matter to them. Even business leaders who give money to the Republican Party want immigration reform. Their businesses need legal immigrant workers. President Bush II supported it, too.
Maybe we ought to be discussing the various GOP tactics to control our elections, like catering to the power of money, dark money exemptions from transparency regulations, repeal of political contribution limits, attack ads to depress voters, refusal to discuss the issues, refusal to take questions from the press, money legally equated with speech, which means no speech for those without excess money, attempts to repeal Internet Neutrality, repeal of the Broadcasters’ Fairness Doctrine for responsible spokespersons, voter suppressions including voter roll purges, restrictions on absentee voting and alternative voting times, refusal to fill Federal Elections Commission vacancies, filibuster of judicial nominees who favor election reforms and gerrymandering to maximize their Congression and state legislature seats. The turnout in this election was the lowest since ‘42. This is how that happens. Adding insult to injury, they call this depressed turnout “the voice of the people.” Ouch! Ouch!
Tom Louderback, 40205
