Higher temps are danger to everyone
Thank you for your article “Atlanta endures its second-hottest summer ever,” News, Sept.
3. We must remember the temperature records you report are observed in the shade so if we are outdoors in direct sunlight, we can experience much higher temperatures. One of many implications of this news is that we may see an increase in loss of lives, especially those of elderly people. The Europe heat wave of August 2003 killed 70,000 people. In the United States, more than 600 people die every year due to extreme heat, according to the CDC. In the 1995 Chicago heat wave, almost 700 people lost their lives. In Atlanta, football practice, tennis, golf and other outdoor sports activities could prove fatal. Construction, highway, agricultural, landscape and other outdoor workers will be at risk. So it is imperative, among other actions, that we quickly establish a national carbon fee and dividend program.
DAVID GREENLAND,
SANDY SPRINGS
Congress not the cause of poverty
In “Congress’ stinginess real cause of poverty,” Readers Write, Sept. 4, the letter-writer makes a very unusual claim, that “Congress is the cause of poverty in America in 2016.” Oh, really? I guess the $22 trillion spent on the War on Poverty so far was too stingy! No, welfare is not a safety net; it has become a way of life for too many. Workers are not entitled to be paid what they “need,” but what the job is “worth.” Minimum wage jobs are entry level jobs, which do not require special skills, experience or education. Raising the minimum wage causes hikes in salaries for higher level jobs, too. Where does all the extra money come from? Price increases in everything, and we’re back to square one.
JUDITH MCCARTHY,
ATLANTA