University hirings are legitimate

4/21/2005

Many organizations and businesses, including The Blade, have married couples working for them.

When it comes to questioning the wisdom of Ohio State University hiring the wife of its new athletic director to work in development, or Bowling Green State University hiring the wife of its president to work in student affairs, it seems to me that the public should look for answers to these questions:

Does the job fill a legitimate need at the university?

Is the person hired to fill the position qualified for the job?

Does the salary reflect fair market compensation for the work performed?

If the answers to all three of these questions are yes - which is the case at Bowling Green State University - then it shouldn't matter who your spouse is or what he or she earns.

There was no hiring freeze at the time of Paula Ribeau's interim appointment to the BGSU staff. Her primary duties relate to student affairs. Only a minor portion of the job is hosting events, a legitimate institutional public relations function.

Ed Ferkany

Chairman

Board of Trustees

Bowling Green State University

It is very gratifying to me to see people going to the library or talking to their doctors about putting their end-of-life requests in writing as a result of the conflict over what Terri Schiavo's final wishes were. As a member of the Board of the Funeral Consumers' Alliance of Northwest Ohio, I'd like to suggest that these same folks consider that the very people who will be carrying out your wishes about feeding tubes and respirators might like (and need) to know your feelings about funerals, cremation, organ/body donation, and memorial services.

We have seen the sadness of feuding families - planning ahead and putting your wishes in writing may help you avoid a similar situation. The nonprofit FCA of NW Ohio offers the public objective, consumer-oriented advice on how to arrange funerals that meet families' needs and budgets. We also offer a variety of planning forms that can be thought of as "advance directives for funeral wishes."

End-of-life issues are much more than just living wills. Help your family to know what you want.

Rebecca Locke-Gagnon

Collingwood Boulevard

Tom Noe found that he could make a business out of a hobby. Buying and selling coins intrigued him, and he focused his intellect and enthusiasm to the point that he figured out how to make a profit in the process. Since that time many people in the greater Toledo area have hired him to pursue the activity in their behalf.

Judging from the growth of his business over the years, he obviously was able to produce positive results for his clients. If an agency of the State of Ohio which has money to invest decided to join the activity of others and hire Tom Noe to help it enhance the value of the investable funds, why is that bad?

If there is nothing in the investment policy of the agency that prohibits this type of investment, then it is a judgment call of the investment officer. If anyone disagrees with the decision by the investment officer, the investment officer should be criticized and not the provider of the investment vehicle.

Tom has done what parents want their children to do - be enthused about their business/profession, be honest, do not perpetrate illegal activities, and be successful. To criticize Tom Noe for making contributions to the political party in power is laughable.

Also, we are grateful to Tom for all of the civic and community activities in which he has been involved. We really appreciate him.

John W. Davies, Jr.

Wyndwood Drive

I read with interest your editorial regarding school buses and travelers' inattention to their presence. Last week on my way to work, I encountered a yellow school bus in the oncoming lane of traffic ahead of me. The bus stopped to pick up its passengers, the lights were flashing, the stop sign was clearly visible. And yet three cars immediately in front of me never stopped, braked, or even slowed down in their efforts to pass the bus. I was truly fortunate to not become a witness to yet another tragedy on our streets involving young pedestrians on their way to school.

As members of the driving public, we must be mindful and ever vigilant of the surrounding traffic and pedestrians, especially these school buses, entrusted with our most valuable commodity. It is clear that the tragedy suffered recently by our community when one of these youngsters was struck and killed leaving the school bus has not resounded as a loud enough wake-up to guarantee the future safety of these kids.

Safety on our streets is all of our responsibility, so please be careful out there.

JULIA R. BATES

Lucas County Prosecutor

I read about Mayor Jack Ford's plan to run for re-election with great interest. Like many Toledoans, I suspect, I was left wondering what he was referring to when he spoke of "his many accomplishments."

It's the lack of accomplishments that bothers me. A partial list of things promised, but never delivered, include: the Marina District, Southwyck Shopping Center redevelopment, a new Sports Arena, the Promenade Park Amphitheater development, retaining O-I, and keeping countless small businesses that are fleeing to the suburbs.

Another aspect of the story that concerned me was his insistence that he's a "low key kind of guy who does not like to beat his own drum."

What then would you call the more than $30,000 billboard campaign that was paid for with taxpayer money touting Mayor Ford?

Mayor Ford has had more than three years to show us his stuff. Now, with the end of his term looming, he's talking like a desperate soul trying to convince St. Peter to let him through the "Pearly Gates."

He's got a better chance at that than ever getting my vote again.

MIKE McMAHON

Robinwood Avenue

Most often, a good (if not great) book proves to be better than its film adaptation. We know from school, this was emphasized even more by teachers.

The same could be said of (certain) print publications that offer more insight on issues than conservative talk radio, with its half truths, blatant misinformation, and (borderline) race-baiting commentary.

Simply stated, the print media offer more points of view than does the majority of talk radio.

Pat Gorman

Dorr Street

The current campaign against the emerald ash borer seems to suffer from an unambiguous strategic flaw: The "Maginot Line" which the Emerald Borer Task Force is building in northwest Ohio has already been outflanked by its adversary.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture's web site appears to be authoritative and it shows that the emerald ash borer has penetrated into Defiance, Hancock, and southern Wood Counties. These are known infestations; it doesn't take much imagination to infer there are others yet undiscovered.

The horse is out of the barn and running hard.

Whatever steps should be taken to stem the spread of the emerald ash borer, pouring scarce resources into an already breached defense is not one of them.

Eric Durbin

Holland

Some psychiatrists consider it insanity to repeat the same action over and over in the hope of achieving different results.

Too bad this insanity is going to be repeated 20,000 times at Pearson Park by the Ohio Department of Agriculture and its failed ash borer program.

MARVIN S. REMER

Chalice Way