Smoky Mountain News

To the Editor:

Do you wish that your child got less attention from the teacher because teachers and their aids are getting laid off while enrollment increases? Do you wish that you could subsidize other peoples’ tuition at private schools? Do you wish that your child’s college tuition would continue to go up because of cuts to higher education budgets?  

Do you wish that your friends or relatives with asthma would have more and worse attacks because regulations on ozone producing air pollution have been relaxed? Do you wish that emergency responders response time would slow down because so many have been laid off? Do you wish that you and your children would have more salmonella and listeria infections because there are fewer inspectors of the food supply? Do you wish that your children would have more sickness from playing in the river because water treatment plant maintenance and inspections have been reduced?  

Do you wish that your medical insurance premiums would continue to be higher because hospitals must charge you for the uninsured patients that show up in the emergency room?  

Yes, these things cost money, but if these are the things that you wish for, vote for the Tea Party Republicans. They’ve already delivered on some of these and more are promised. If these are not what you wish for your family, friends, community and state, then vote Democratic.

John Gladden

Franklin