WE NEED BETTER MONEY MANAGERS

Dear Editor: I am writing in response to "Voters to blame for lost jobs" by
Jeanne Tyler, Linden, October 15. She makes the statement that Gordon Coats
must have been AWOL while the governor begged for more taxes.

Perhaps Mr. Coats was not AWOL at all. Perhaps he knows from working within
the system that there was never a shortage of tax money. Perhaps he knows
that we have had enough money all along, we simply have not elected people
who know how to manage it. I see money wasted every day on frivolous
expenditures such as Roy's Rock and fancy painted elephants on our streets.
Every day reusable materials are thrown away at the university. Poor road
planning and construction causes millions of dollars to be washed into our
streams.

Do our schools have to be such architectural works of art? I would prefer
that my kids attend a simple block-built school and have the best of
equipment inside instead of the most expensive lights and froufrou along
the streets and entrances.

Millions are spent to prosecute and house marijuana users instead of
treating and educating them.

We don't need more money, just better managers! Gordon Coats was not far
from retirement. Long years of faithful service should be rewarded.
Instead, he was kicked out because our leaders spend according to the
special interest groups that bought them their jobs.

John L. Wathen

Tuscaloosa