Good citizen would help ease traffic woes

5/13/2001

Your recent article about the suggested new turn lanes because of increasing traffic in the area of Franklin Park brought some interesting commentary.

It's hard not to be stunned by the expressed attitude of the Notre Dame facilities manager, who feels that Notre Dame would be “victimized” by the commercial development and the sacrifice of some of Notre Dame's land for turn lanes to aid the traffic flow.

I frequent those busy intersections. It would be a minimal loss of land for Notre Dame to be a “good neighbor citizen” and offer the necessary ground to aid the traffic flow at both the Sylvania-Monroe intersection and the Monroe-Secor intersection.

Don't you find it interesting that a large block of land that is a non-taxpaying entity and is, in fact, a good community citizen, would feel “victimized” by community development?

How many students drive to school today compared with 25 years ago? The reality is that traffic is present and must be handled. The cornfields have moved 10 miles west.

What should have been a good-citizen voluntary offering is now going to probably end up as an eminent domain issue. What a sad story and a missed opportunity.

THOMAS R. TILLANDER

Holland

I couldn't help but be horrified and intensely saddened to learn of the murder and mutilation of the young Israeli boys and the senseless shooting of the Palestinian baby girl. These events, as well as others in our world involving the ugly disregard of individual worth, and the needless killing of even children, make me pause and say a prayer of thanks for the relative safety of our country.

As a proud mother of three wonderful children, I joyfully accept my role to nurture and protect them. But on a higher level, I see my greater mission is to teach them the value of all life and, if not love, at least a profound respect for their fellow man.

As we American mothers are honored on this special Sunday, I would suggest that in lieu of flowers and gift baskets, an even greater tribute from our children would be the demonstration of respect and love for others.

God bless all mothers, and give them the strength and the courage to teach their children these most important values.

CATHERINE SCANNELL

Maumee

Your editorial, “No vote on video slots,” stated that “Governor Taft should wield his veto pen and make sure this one doesn't make it out of the starting gate.” You also call the concept of using video gaming machines to fund education a “figurative pact with the devil.”

The fact is that Governor Taft does not have the power to veto a bill initiated by the legislature that seeks to put an issue on the ballot. He must let the issue go to the people and trust in their wisdom to decide what is best for them.

Bob Taft's pledge to campaign against video lottery terminals and your dramatic attempt to vilify their implementation cause me to wonder what you are both afraid of. Do you contend that the people of Michigan, Indiana, and West Virginia (not to mention Nevada) are any less noble than Ohioans? Do you feel that the Ohioans who flood to these locations are not as righteous as the rest of us?

The fact that Ohio is losing millions of dollars in revenue to these other states should not be ignored. Governor Taft has torn his party apart by opposing video gaming, and at the same time has jeopardized his chance of re-election by appearing weak and elitist. If he claims that video lottery terminals are the same issue that the people voted against in the 1990s, he should feel comfortable in letting them vote once more.

If this issue does go to the ballot, it is a certainty that the gaming interests in our neighboring states will completely fund the Religious Right's campaign to defeat it. And Bob Taft will find himself in the uncomfortable position of using this “dirty money” to keep his own state pristine. I guess politics does make strange bedfellows, as they say.

CHRISTINE RUTH

Bowling Green

Molly Ivins misses the point concerning the role of the United States in the ratification of international treaties. Molly attests that by not signing these treaties and going along with the rest of the international community, or paying back the $1.3 billion we owe the United Nations, we look like a “super jackass.”

She blames the United States for ignoring human rights and “some of the most no-brainers in history,” including a chemical weapons ban, a U.N. convention on children's rights, and a land mines ban.

At first, her argument looks satisfactory, until one actually thinks about it. Maybe the Bush administration is doing something that we should all do a little bit more often: learn from history.

After World War I, the Geneva Convention was held to limit the size of national militaries. When Hitler's oversized army swept across Europe, because no one could force it into keeping with the treaty, it took the United States five hard years to destroy this army.

Had the United States tried to break the treaty, the people would have protested, like they still would today.

If the North Koreans agree to eliminate land mines, who is there to force them to do this? The United Nations certainly doesn't have the power.

The United States would eliminate its land mines, while North Korea would hold on to its, and would have the tactical advantage over South Korea and the U.S. troops stationed there. The same can be said for all of these propositions.

The non-democratic world agrees with them to force the democratic nations to follow the rules, knowing that they, themselves, would simply ignore them.

Plus, how does Ms. Ivins figure that we owe the United Nations? Wasn't it us that sent billions of dollars to Europe in the Marshall Plan? We don't owe Europe anything.

MICHAEL A. NETTER

Indian Road

I have been following all the editorials regarding Toledo's mayor and his attitude toward the people of Bedford Township. Does this man have any idea just how much business the residents of the Bedford area bring into the Toledo area?

He must not have a clue, or he would not bring such a negative attitude to the possibility of allowing this community to share a YMCA.

I was born and raised in Toledo so I do have a very special feeling about the city. We do all our shopping in Toledo. The taxes from gasoline sales and all other things we buy, Toledo benefits from it. All our doctors, hospitals, and every other service comes from the Toledo area.

Imagine the amount of groceries we purchase, plus all retail shopping, and I could go on listing the amount of benefits Toledo gets because of the fine people of the Bedford area doing their shopping in Toledo.

How much business does the city of Toledo bring to our area? It would be a great argument to confront Mr. Finkbeiner with this information. Common sense should allow him to already know some of this.

Oh, yes. We all get The Blade, seven days a week, in case he didn't know.

JEAN A. WACHTELL

Temperance

The compassionate conservatives in Congress are going to give the American people a tax break. This might cover the increased fuel costs from the oil lobby, which financed their elections. As the price for gas rises, Big Oil's campaign debts are eliminated by the public at the gas pump. When Election Year 2002 arrives, the resulting cash surplus can be used to finance more compassionate conservatives.

Combine this with Bush friend Lowry Mays' monopoly of the radio industry, and we can truly say that our cup runneth over with generosity and compassion.

PAUL SZYMANOWSKI

Curtice