|
Sarcastic support
To the editor: Senior citizens should vote yes on May 3 for the levy that gives the Woodmore School District $600,000 over the next five years. (Only $480,000 or 82 percent of the levy goes for salaries and benefits).
It’s only fair that senior citizens pay their fair share in keeping the school district in the black. Even though most seniors have no children attending school and are on a fixed income, they can afford another $100 or so increase in taxes annually to keep the kids (teachers) pacified.
The unemployment rate in Ottawa County is 18.9 percent and Sandusky County’s is 10.5 percent. Property-owners are losing their homes to foreclosure. But that doesn’t matter – the school needs money for raises and salaries.
Senior citizens, ignore increases in your utility bills and gasoline prices that are over $4 a gallon. Pay no heed to high prices for coffee, sugar, flour, bread, meat and other food staples, or the medical and prescription prices that are on the increase.
You can afford the extra property tax – just forego paying for some of the necessities. The school district needs your money more than you do.
You already have your retirement. School district employees need a raise, and money added to their retirement funds.
Public workers want to live more comfortably than you do. The district doesn’t want to lose any teacher whose average annual salary is $51,900, not including a few thousand more for insurance, benefits, and stipends if this levy fails.
How can you expect the teachers to exist on this wage?
Terrylee Dembowski
Gibsonburg
Composure admired
To the editor: I am amazed at the calm and composure of the citizens of Japan after the devastating earthquake and Tsunami they endured.
That country lost thousands of people, many homes and their livelihoods and yet they remain calm and stoic. They had no warning that this disaster was about to hit and devastate their country. All the reports I have watched on TV show the people waiting calmly in line waiting for food and water. There’s no panic, looting or fighting.
I immediately thought back on Hurricane Katrina. Even after at least a week’s warning that the hurricane was coming and the city and state were providing transportation for the people to get out of the area, there were those who didn't take heed.
After the devastation, there was total panic – crime and looting. Then came the “blame-game.” The city and state officials were quick to blame the president and government. The media jumped on the bandwagon and stoked the fire for months after. I can’t help but compare the difference in cultures.
I am sorry to say that I think many in this country are so coddled and accustomed to entitlements they can’t figure out how to take care of themselves – even in times of distress.
Margarita Duran
Oregon
A slap in the face
To the editor: I am writing in response to Lake School Board President Tim Krugh’s closing comment in the article, “Lake asks public to Saturday workshop,” in The Blade Neighbors section.
Krugh said, “It’s our local community’s turn to do its part to keep moving forward.” This remark was directed at a levy for additional operating funds. I was very agitated with this remark. Did you forget about the levies that the community has passed already – the latest being a 2010-11 levy that combined two renewal levies to one continuous levy? No worries about money to come for years.
What about all the help that was received by the school in donations and cleaning up after the June 5, 2010 tornado? I do believe the community is giving. To me, it sounds like you and people representing the school are not grateful for what they received, although they say they are greatly appreciative.
I also needed help with a learning-disabled child, but was given the runaround for seven years trying to get this child help through the Lake Schools system. This child was allowed to fail two classes, thus making this child ineligible for sports, not to mention the extra cost of summer school and the frustration of trying to get the much-needed help. Where was my help when my child and I needed it?
I don’t have the ability to pass a levy or raise taxes when I need more money. Has anyone heard of living within your means and trimming more expenses, even though you can’t seem to find where to trim anymore? I have been doing this for quite a while – try it sometime.
How many people who read this are doing the above? It’s time we speak up and stop all this “I need money so let’s pass a levy or raise taxes.”
Thanks for the slap in the face, Mr. Krugh. I’ll make sure I vote for this levy – not.
Tena Pettit
Walbridge
The right thing
To the editor: Attaboy Mike Seferian. Your approach to finding a new police chief is absolutely the right thing to do.
As a business person that has been operating a company in Oregon for the last 35 years, the one thing that has always stood out was our fire and police departments.
I used to know almost everyone on the force and most of the time the morale was good. An officer would always greet you with a smile and most knew many of the citizens in their patrolled areas by name. Many of Oregon’s citizens I have talked with agree, to hire within is a wise choice. Someone who understands that the people of Oregon hire them to protect us and in spite of some not-so-good chiefs,
I believe we are very fortunate for the protection we have, both police and fire.
Tim Erard
Levy support urged
To the editor: The Birchard Public Library system of Sandusky County, with libraries in Fremont, Gibsonburg, Woodville and Green Springs, has provided quality services to our community since 1874.
It is a free public library that has a mission to meet the information, education, and recreation needs of the residents of Sandusky County and to provide easy and equal access to these materials in their variety of forms. There is free access to books, magazines, CD’s, DVD’s, the Internet and other quality services including computer classes. In a typical week, over 3,800 people use the library.
The library has an operating levy on the May 3 ballot. The proposed property tax levy is a very reasonable one mill, five-year operating levy to cover current operating expenses of the library. When passed, the levy would only cost $2.55 per month for the owner of a home valued at $100,000.
Why does the library need a levy? Most of the funding for the library comes from the State of Ohio. In the past three years, state funding has dropped 30 percent and deeper funding cuts are anticipated. The library’s trustees responded by freezing wages and reducing benefits, expenditures and services; but the operating costs still have exceeded revenue since 2008.
The library’s deficit has been paid by using cash on hand from sound fiscal management over the past 20 years and by using money in a trust fund from private donors. Unfortunately, these resources are rapidly depleting to the point where an operating levy is a necessity.
As a lifelong resident of Sandusky County and a member of the Birchard Library Board of Trustees, I strongly urge you to consider voting yes.
George Moore
Fremont
Democracy derailed
To the editor: What has happened to the democratic process? Apparently, it doesn’t exist in the Village of Walbridge council chambers, as one resident found out at a recent council meeting. He made a statement, “I can’t ask the board a question.”
This is still the United States of America and that is when he was escorted out by our new police chief.
This present administration changed the rules for speaking at our council meetings. You are given a half hour prior to the meeting to speak and are allowed five minutes to say what you have to say or put it in writing. So when it comes to the meeting, if ordinances are passed in an emergency, which most of them are in this administration, you cannot speak or ask questions. And once it’s passed, it’s too late. Freedom of speech is no longer a part of this village’s protocol.
The solicitor made the comment, “Councils and other elected boards are not required to allow visitors to speak during meetings.
This never happens at the Lake Township Trustee meetings. You are allowed to comment anytime. The City of Oregon Council meetings also allows comment time and I do believe the City of Northwood still allows resident or visitors to ask questions and this same solicitor is Northwood’s solicitor.
He further said, “The policy for Walbridge has been in place for years.” I beg to differ. It was put in place during the last eight years of this administration. We need to get this village back on the right track. It has been derailed way too long.
Come this November, the democratic process will happen in the voting booth. I ask the residents in this village to remember this upcoming election day when some members of council that are up for re-election along with the mayor.
Joann Schiavone
Walbridge
Editor’s note: Joann Schiavone is a former member of Walbridge Village Council.
 |
Opinions/Columns 
Subscribe to this comment's feed