In a May 18 editorial, “Rest Easy, Right Wing,” Anniston’s liberal son, Brandt Ayers, anguishes over the fact that our populace has finally been offered alternative sources of news. Further anguishing to Brandt is the fact that the populace has learned from these sources the extent of past domination of a totally leftist media. Frantically searching polls, studies, statistics and ratings for any semblance of evidence that the liberal media is not falling on its face, he weakly states, “A Pew study found 37 percent believed ‘all or most’ of what CNN reported. Fox News received 24 percent.”
Brandt and friends still don’t grasp the fact that even this Pew study, which he proudly brandishes, actually reflects the degree of liberal viewer gullibility from whence the “new media” is attempting to distance itself.
Armond Simmons
Pell City
Jacksonville school system
In a belated response to Mayor Jerry Smith concerning school funding, I must refer to a particular quote from his response to the letter writer, both printed in the Anniston Star on June 8: “What about the approximately $12,000,000 spent by the city on the new high school and related infrastructure costs?”
So what about the money spent on a new high school? Does that improve the quality of education for the students? How does it affect the teacher-to-pupil ratio? Does it have any affect on the ability of the teacher to instruct the children attending this “new high school?”
The City Council and the BOE can very well boast about the new school and all its fine attributes, but the only effect I (and many others) could conceive of is the obvious bragging-rights of having a building and “infrastructure” that would rival the mega-schools of the suburbs of Birmingham and North Shelby County. Little wonder that the label “East Hoover” has been applied to Jacksonville over the past few years. Some $12,000,000 was apparently spent to attract affluent people to Jacksonville and to please the established gentry, regardless of the needs of those in poorer areas of the city.
I would like to remind Jacksonville that EVERYONE is equally important, not just the folks who happen to live in the right parts of town.
Jamie Hardy
Jacksonville
Alabama prisons
I read your editorial about the number of inmates that would have to be released if Gov. Riley’s tax plan did not pass. My son is an inmate in an Alabama state prison. He is mentally ill. My son was sentenced to 12 years on a first time offense — he had one traffic ticket at age 19. I have seen where other people had allegedly committed the same type crime my son was accused of and received anywhere from five to 10 years.
A lot of the problem with the Alabama prison system is the unfairness of the sentencing, and the system that allows this to happen. I thought the sentencing commission was supposed to correct this. Obviously, they have not.
One other thing I find interesting, on a recent visit to my son, an employee of the prison was leaving the visiting area and he said as he passed us, “Welcome to the Alabama Bureau of Prisons, the largest and fastest growing industry in the state of Alabama.”
Remember, except for the grace of God your child could be where mine is.
Pat Haywood
Eastaboga
