Gov. Carter was never too busy to help constituents
We moved to Atlanta in 1973 from Ohio, where I taught high school history. Finding it difficult to secure a teaching position, I decided to pursue a master of education degree from Georgia State University. I was a month short of residency, so I was assessed an out-of-state fee. I requested a conference with then-Gov. Jimmy Carter for help. Within a few days, I was in his office. He was so gracious and sympathetic to me as I requested he waive the fee. He told me he would send a representative to Georgia State to see what could be done on my behalf. A few days later, he informed me that, regrettably, I would have to pay the fee.
A few years later, I worked with him while building a house in Cabbage Town. I soon realized I should stay in the classroom and stay with children where it was warm. I enjoyed the brief instance of working with Carter and Habitat for Humanity. I spent 32 years in the classroom as a teacher and 19 years as a substitute. I will never forget his attempt to help me.
MAUDE KING, STONE MOUNTAIN
Rent control is bad economic policy
Regarding the Jan. 6 opinion essay “Antitrust actions show value of rent control,” the authors, being members of the Open Market Institute, take a surprising view of rent control. They believe rent controls play a beneficial role in establishing prices for rental properties. Rent control flies in the face of “open markets,” which their organization presumably supports. The Mercatus Center at George Mason University, which also supports open markets, states, “Rent control is not only a bad economic policy that doesn’t achieve its goal of restraining housing prices. It is also an unjust policy that causes real economic harm to property owners.”
The last thing Atlanta needs is rent control — unless it wants to become the New York of the South.
MILTON SCHREIBER, ST. SIMONS ISLAND
Capitalism allows us to pursue our interests
The Jan. 7 letter “Trump embodies greed, power of capitalism” lamented that “Republicans rail against socialism when it’s their beloved free market capitalism, with its unpredictable boom or bust cycles that destabilize the economy and disturbs our quality of life.” At least capitalism produces many booms and just some busts. Socialism produces only busts. It always fails. By contrast, capitalism has produced the highest standard of living in human history.
Greed is part of the human condition and is found in all systems, not just capitalism. Capitalism allows us to pursue our self-interest by providing valuable goods and services to others. Profit is not evil. Under socialism, there is little incentive to work, and you quickly run out of other people’s money. See Venezuela.
Please, enough of the socialism nonsense.
DANA R. HERMANSON, MARIETTA
