A bright side to rising gas prices

4/14/2005

Real patriots don't complain about the price of gas. It's bringing answers to myriad social and environmental problems in this country.

Such as, if the cost per gallon continues to rise we will be unable to afford it and therefore will reduce our dependency on foreign oil. It will force more families into smaller vehicles that consume less gas. That in turn will help control the population because you will travel shorter distances because of the cost and discomfort for you and larger families.

Urban sprawl? No problem! You will have to live closer to work and shopping and that will bring the problem of urban sprawl to its knees.

The only problems I can see is that the rich, you know, those who got a big tax cut, will still drive those big SUVs because they can now more easily afford the gas gouge and the best thing for them is that they will worry less about collisions. They can just run over all those little cars. The other is that tourism will suffer, but then our roads will experience less travel and last longer.

See? Stop complaining and be a patriot.

William A. Dunn

Oak Harbor, Ohio

Investing in coins is very speculative. Also, we must remember that Tom Noe is not a disinterested third party. In addition, the remarks by Gov. Bob Taft were inane to say the least.

Now James Conrad, administrator for the bureau, has written to The Blade stating that there has been a cumulative return of 24 percent, including 11.2 percent in 2004. Does Mr. Conrad think we are all dolts? We must know what profit was made yearly, from the beginning investment until now.

Does Mr. Conrad think that the return in 2004 is good on such a speculative investment? Does the public know what coins were first invested in, and who appraised them? Does the public know what coins are in the fund now, and what is the present appraised value? Does Mr. Conrad understand the meaning of total return: investment return plus the value of the remaining coins?

His letter is meaningless until there is a complete audit by disinterested third party experts in coins. In addition, if coins are missing since 2003, shouldn't the risk of loss have fallen to Mr. Noe, not the bureau?

I thank The Blade for its investigation, but it must continue to dig into this mess.

LOUIS J. HATTNER

Wicklow Road

The good news is that The Blade cannot sink any lower. Its interview with Gov. Bob Taft was pitiful. It has made Mr. Taft and Tom Noe look like they are ax murders.

Because Mr. Noe does not have a college degree, he cannot be smart, he cannot be on any boards, he cannot run a successful business, and he cannot invest money for our state? Why doesn't The Blade investigate the people who invested the state's money in stocks, funds, etc., that lost money over the past several years?

Who did the interview with Governor Taft? Why was no name attached? Is The Blade hiding something? Is it ashamed?

Let's have an investigation into this matter! Do all employees of The Blade have college degrees? Does The Blade make a profit?

Do you think all the stupid people (myself included) without a degree will be able to read the next barrage of manure?

The Blade's self-appointed title, "One of America's Great Newspapers," is a joke. It doesn't even qualify as an average tabloid. Over the years it has printed tons of articles about the "brain drain" where all the area college graduates go to another city to live. It also criticizes all the people who take their business to the suburbs.

Why would anyone want to stay in Toledo? The Blade is the problem.

Who would want to run for mayor of Toledo? If the wrong person wins, The Blade will crucify them with its investigations and self-made controversies. The Blade is an ongoing embarrassment to Toledo.

By the way, Tom Noe is a friend of mine. It is not easy for us because neither of us has a college degree. We communicate with a series of grunts and squeals.

Robert Ransom

Maumee

Please add to your list the following people who will not be a candidate for Ohio Board of Regents: Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Steve Jobs, Peter Jennings, Walter Cronkite, and Harry Truman to mention a few.

A college degree, or lack thereof, has never kept men or women from achieving. It is ambition, great imagination, and the greatest school of all: "Life Experience."

The Board of Regents is to provide vision, but not curriculum, to higher education. Please read the book Success Without a College Degree.

Abdullatif Nimr

Maumee

No doubt Wood County residents are proud to see local Bowling Green High school graduate Tom Noe go from selling baseball cards to managing investment money for the State of Ohio. The Ohio rare coin investment scheme helped make Mr. Noe a lot richer overnight.

What is not commonly known is that Ohio law exempts coin dealers from paying state sales tax.

This is a loss of millions of dollars in state revenue.

Meanwhile, Republican Gov. Bob Taft has been looking for programs to cut because there is a shortfall in state revenue.

Isn't there something wrong with this picture?

Bob Snyder

Bowling Green

Let's think outside of Government Center and the typical committee of negativity.

1. We need a new venue for the Toledo Storm hockey team and other major events.

2. We need to find a solution for Southwyck Shopping Center. That solution is not retail. We have more than enough retail for the Toledo market.

The owners of Southwyck should contact (and I am completely serious) the movie producers in Hollywood. I am totally serious.

Let them know we have a large mall that they might want to fit into one of their upcoming movies for a car chase and/or bombing. Do not laugh. This is serious and has been done before.

The movie company would pay to demolish the mall and cart away the debris for the use of the mall in its movie.

The owners of Southwyck would sell the land to Toledo and/or developers.

Now we have a great location ready for the building of an arena for major events and our hockey team.

Two problems solved and we all benefit at little expense to us the people of northwest Ohio.

JACK SCHATZLEY

Sherwood Forest Manor

When is somebody going to take University of Toledo President Dan Johnson to task for spending like a drunken sailor on leave? It's time to quit spending millions of dollars on every parcel of land to expand his kingdom.

At a time when enrollment is flat or declining, it's insanity to keep on this spending spree.

Now Dr. Johnson wants a half-cent sales tax to fund tuition costs. This liberal thinking has to stop.

Higher education is not a right. And it's certainly not my responsibility to pay a half-penny tax on everything I buy to fund it!

Here's a novel idea on funding education: Let's take the federal child tax credit away and directly give it to schools K through 12. Problem solved!

TIMOTHY SCZESNY

Maumee

I watch and read the current media blitz attempting to remake the image of one Hanoi Jane Fonda with extreme dismay and hurt for those who gave their lives and limbs in Vietnam, as well as their loved ones.

I suggest that she has earned her rightful place aside Ethel and Julius Rosenberg in the gallows of American history.

George J. Eistetter

River Road