Speak Out

Re “Business owner's choice” (Speak Out, Mar. 3):

Perhaps letter writer LeeRoy Alan Cobb should take a refresher course in government and how it works.

Business owners do not make laws and ordinances. If they did, prostitution and gambling would probably be decided by the business owner since it would be taking place on the owner's property.

Cobb also needs to check out the state of Georgia, which has a state-wide ban on smoking in restaurants. As usual, Alabama is just a little bit behind the times.

Harvey Gaither
Anniston

Road financing

Re “Issues of the day” (Speak Out, Mar. 4):

Letter writer Stan Bayless recommends that the cost of adding lanes to the Bynum-Leatherwood Road be financed by a toll for users of the road. He might be surprised to find that much of Bynum-Leatherwood is residential and that many of the residents on that road are financially disadvantaged.

One of the gates of the Anniston Army Depot exits onto Bynum-Leatherwood Road. Perhaps we should ask the federal government to close the depot to alleviate traffic on this road, which of is as absurd as making the major road through a financially disadvantaged area a toll road. Far wiser would be to get a grant from the federal government to expand this road, which is of great benefit to the depot.

Perhaps if Bayless had to pay a toll each time he left home he would reconsider making such foolish statements.

Gene Black
Anniston

Self-serving nonsense

Re “Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.” (Editorial, Mar. 2):

The late Arthur Schlesinger was such a Kennedy toady and hagiographer that any tributes to him should be recognized for what they are — self-serving nonsense.

Charles Howell
Colfax, N.C.